Prophecy
by Ravenwood240
Summary: Harry killed Voldemort fifteen years ago. Now, Eight children must use their gifts to defeat an evil greater than Voldemort could ever be. Animagi, Pyromancers, a Shaman, Giant magic, a Warlock and more as a Muggle born wizard tries to conquer both worlds
1. Dreams in the night

_**Prophecy**_

_**Dreams in the Night**_

James Evans woke suddenly in the night. His bed was sweat soaked, as if he had a fever, or had been having a nightmare. He concentrated on the link he shared with his twin. Rose was gripped in the throes of a nightmare, and it was her terror that had woken James. He sent soothing emotions down the link, trying to ease her out of it, but she was past the point where that would work. He got up and put on his robe.

James's room was the room of a boy with many assorted interests, in both the Muggle and wizard worlds. A computer shared desk space with spell books, and a shelf held a baseball bat and a Nimbus 2000. On his table, the unfinished model of a 57 Chevy crowded a simmering potion. James was an average looking boy of ten, of middle height, and the athletic build of a boy who spent most of his time outside. His one truly outstanding feature were the vividly green eyes that marked most Evans, although something in the lines of his face suggested he might be very handsome when he grew up. His robe on, he opened the door to room, and stepped across the hall to Rose's room.

His twin's room was a near mirror image of James's, from the sporting gear to the models, although Rose was working on a Muggle aircraft model. James crossed to her bed and reached out to shake her gently. As he touched her, Rose uttered a piercing shriek and sat up suddenly. James was so startled he tripped over his own feet as he leaped backward, and fell. From his position on the floor, he looked at Rose with wide eyes. She was sitting up, but her eyes were blank as she spoke. "The Patient Child has the Doomed One's Knowledge." With that rather cryptic statement, Rose lay back, apparently asleep again. James considered the feel of her mind, and got up. He watched her for a minute, making sure she was not falling back into her nightmare, and turned to leave.

Closing her door, he felt another presence, and turned to find his father standing there. "Another nightmare?" Robert Evans asked, keeping his voice low.

James looked up at his father. "Yes, and a rather unusual comment." He told his father what had happened, and Robert stiffened.

"She said what exactly?"

James repeated it word for word. Robert closed his eyes and sighed, his face a mask of resignation and dismay. He looked again at James, as if he had never seen him, and James studied him in return. Robert Evans was an older version of his son, neat black hair and green eyes, but where James had only the promise of future handsomeness, Robert had it. His body was tall and muscular, with a natural grace many envied.

Running a hand through his hair, he told James to go back to bed. "We're going to be busy tomorrow."

James considered him thoughtfully. "Are you finally going to tell us about Rose's nightmares?"

His father nodded slowly. "Among other things, which I had hoped not to have to tell you for ten or twelve more years." With that statement, nearly as cryptic as Rose's had been, Robert hugged his son, and turned back to the bedroom he shared with Mary. James stood in the hall for a minute thinking, and then returned to his bed. Sleep however, was long in returning to him.

In the master bedroom, Mary Evans waited for her husband of nearly fifteen years. When he entered the room, she asked what had happened.

Robert looked at his wife for a minute, admiring the beautiful woman that had consented to marry him all those years ago. Mary was tall, only three inches shy of his 6'2", with a silky mass of brown hair falling past her waist. Despite nearing her fourth decade, and raising two children who sometimes got into unbelievable situations, there was no gray in that hair, and her warm brown eyes were still filled with love for her mate.

"What happened?" she asked again, and Robert shook off the reverie he had fallen into.

"Rose has the Evans Sight, and she quoted the Prophecy," he replied.

Mary looked at him, eyes filled with dread. "Are you sure?" she asked, in a voice touched with fear.

"It's not an exact quote, but she referred to line six. 'The Patient Child has the Doomed One's Knowledge' is what James heard," he told her.

Mary closed her eyes, as she queried Robert. "Now what do we do?"

"What can we do? We have to start looking for the rest of the Eight, and alert the family." Robert kissed his wife softly. "Get some sleep, Lovelight. Tomorrow is going to be busy." Mary lay back down, but like her son, sleep evaded her.

Robert went into his office and took a seat at his desk. Accessing the Internet, he sent a prewritten message that he had long hoped to be able to delete. After it was gone, he grabbed a dozen scrolls, and went to the owlery where the owls for his business were kept, and sent the scrolls off. Back in the office, he carefully opened a case on the wall, and removed the old parchment inside. Setting it in a holder, he booted a file up, and compared them for the hundredth time. After an hour of study and double-checking, he sat back with a sigh. "Eight hundred years this has waited, why couldn't it have waited another eight hundred?" he asked the parchment rhetorically. He rose and crossed to the large picture window. He was still standing there, lost in thought, as the sun rose over the Montana mountains his family loved so well. The peaceful serenity of the dawn was broken, though, when he saw the storm clouds gathering on the horizon.

The next morning three somber faces were gathered in the kitchen making breakfast when Rose came in. "Good morning everyone. I had the strangest dream last night." They stiffened, and Rose caught it. "Not another nightmare, this one was just strange."

Robert smiled at his daughter. "Why don't you tell us about it, while you and James set the table for breakfast."

"Okay, well, James and I were in this really strange room with a bunch of other people, but I could only see a few clearly."

Robert looked at her sharply. "Can you describe them for us?"

Rose thought for a minute. "Let's see, there was an old man, with a long white beard, and some kids our age. There was a girl with eyes like ours, Evans green, but she had red hair, and another redheaded girl, with brown eyes, who was sitting with a blonde girl and a huge boy, nearly as big as dad. There was another boy there, who looked really sensitive, and a girl with black hair and eyes." She paused, considering her dream. "I felt as if I had known them forever."

Robert and Mary exchanged glances, and Robert asked Rose to describe the room they had been in.

"It was really cool, the ceiling was the sky, or an illusion of it."

Robert frowned as a thought crossed his mind. He left the kitchen, and returned with a picture. "Is this the room you were in?"

Rose looked at the picture. "That's the room. Where is it?" She turned the picture over, and read the caption on the back. "Hogwarts Dining Hall." She looked up, puzzled. "Why do we have pictures of a British Wizard's school? Even if it is Harry Potter's school."

Mary answered her. "Because one of your relatives went there. One of the British Evans, Lily Evans to be exact, and in her youth, she and your father corresponded."

Rose looked up, eyes gleaming. "Was she there when Harry Potter was there?"

Robert grinned at her. "Not exactly. Cousin Lily was Harry Potter's Mother."

James and Rose exchanged startled looks. "We're related to the Potters?" James asked, surprised.

Robert shrugged. "Distantly. I think you're fifth or sixth cousins."

James and Rose looked at each other. "James, do you remember that paper?"

"I do, and I remember asking about famous relatives, but I don't recall hearing this then."

"I bet they have one of those adult reasons for not telling us this." Two nearly identical faces waited expectantly.

Robert grinned. "We didn't want you making a big deal about it."

"We were right," the younger Evans chorused.

Breakfast was a quiet meal, with everyone busy with his or her own thoughts. James and Rose were thinking about their famous relative, Robert was considering Rose's dream, and Mary was thinking of the danger about to engulf her children. The meal went quickly with everyone occupied, and when the dishes were done and left to dry, Robert gathered everyone in the office.

Robert passed James and Rose a printed copy of the parchment he had been caretaker of for more than a decade, and told them to read it. The twins sat, and pored over the short text. James looked up. "What does R-I-V-E-N mean?" he asked.

His mother answered him. "The word is riven, and it means torn apart."

Rose asked the only other question. "What does smote mean?"

"It means hit, dear," answered their mother.

When they were finished, the twins looked at each other, eyes full of the silent communication that they used in place of words.

When they were done James turned to their parents. "It's creepy, but what does it have to do with us, or Rose's nightmares?"

Robert sat back in his chair, and began to speak. "That prophecy was written eight hundred years ago by one of our direct ancestors, and normally you would not have seen it until you graduated from the North American Wizard's Academy. Every Evans gets a copy then, and you would not have been any different except that it appears that the time of the prophecy is here now." He paused, sighing heavily. "I'll run you through what we know, or think, about it line by line." He looked up at the ceiling, gathering his thoughts. "The first three lines refer to Harry Potter and the dark wizard Voldemort."

Mary quoted them,

_**"Wizard's darkest days coming, foreseen by the one that appears to prevail,**_

_**Four times nine are the years he shall try, his only fate to fail.**_

_**His defeat at the hands of the one marked by lightning,"**_

Here Mary paused. "That would be Harry Potter," said James. "But it wasn't 36 years, was it?"

Robert nodded. "If you count it from the first time he killed, yes, it was. The next two lines deal with the time that has passed since his defeat, and the birth of the enemy." Once again, Mary quoted,

_**"Shall bring peace's joy, where most find nothing frightening,**_

_**Enjoy this era, for the Patient Child is born."**_

Rose looked troubled. "I think I've dreamed of this child, and some books."

"You have Rose, and will again," Mary said quietly, "but that comes later."

Robert took up the thread. "The next three lines describe the Patient Child, and they are disturbing, because nobody can really agree on what they mean."

_**"With the Doomed One's knowledge, the peace is torn.**_

_**Pity the Patient Child, unfit for the fire, not meant for the path given.**_

_**Fear the Patient Child, Healing Heart and Iron Hands riven."**_

"Doomed One's knowledge refers to the spellbooks of Voldemort, which are still missing despite having more than a hundred Aurors looking for them full-time. Fearing this enemy seems natural, but the line about pity doesn't make sense to me," Robert said. "After all, we're not trying to destroy him, but him us."

_**"Three time seven years shall the peace hold,**_

_**Then time returns for the people bold."**_

"This is the time line before the next war starts, what the prophecy calls Wizard's darkest hour. Twenty-one years from the fall of Voldemort is the accepted answer, which means we have about eight to ten years."

Mary frowned. "I wish we had an extra twenty years, but this is what we have."

Robert reached out for his wife's hand. "The next two lines deal with the start of the War."

_**"Patient Child using means that few can know,**_

_**Strikes wizard's world a devastating blow."**_

"These two lines are argued fiercely. Some of us think the Patient Child will use Muggle weapons. Few wizards know anything about Muggle weapons, and fewer could defend against them. Other people say He'll use new Unforgivable Curses." Mary gave a small smile. "Now for the Light. These lines tell us about the people that will save us."

_**"In this Darkest Hour, shall rise a new Force,**_

_**Eight who are One, setting their own course."**_

"Just Eight people shall save the world. That will be a heavy burden on them." Mary said. "The next seven lines describe the Eight."

_**"Two born a world apart, yet Blood the least of bonds tight."**_

Robert frowned. "A Soulbonded couple is the generally accepted answer, which opens a whole can of worms of it's own."

"Why is that, Dad?" asked James curiously, trying to remember anything he'd ever heard about Soulbonds.

"That's a long story, which we'll get into later. Suffice it to say, a Soulbond would put a very short time limit on us winning." Mary continued the dissection of the prophecy.

_**"The Seer, looking within for knowledge with other sight."**_

"That's Rose, isn't it?" said James. "That's what the dreams are, some form of Foresight."

"Yes, Rose has a gift we call the Evans Sight. I'll give you a book with all the information we have on the Sight, but that's still not a lot, simply because it's a rare gift." Said their Father to Rose.

_**"One only half human, saving where it will count."**_

"This line is about someone like Sheryl Penwall, whose mother was a Veela."

_**"The Fireheart, Bravery that danger cannot mount."**_

"A very brave person, but that's not a lot to go on." Robert commented wryly. "Although being too brave can be as dangerous as being a coward."

_**"The Observer, a Warrior's soul, with an Artist's eye."**_

Again, this is not a lot to go on, without knowing who it's about."

_**"Mental Wizard, even over Kin, no coin this honor can buy."**_

"Mental wizard means a very smart person, far brighter than anybody we know, added to a strong sense of honor. Not that this tells us much more than the last two lines. After ten years of looking at this, I hate prophecy." Robert grinned. "It's worse than that book of brainteasers you got me." He sobered suddenly. "Not to mention, this has far more drastic consequences."

_**"The Rebel, Healing Hands with a heart that will not Lie."**_

Mary spoke for the first time in a while. "The rebel part is not clear, but healing hands and open heart most likely mean somebody with the healing gift, although that's even rarer than the Animage talent. The next four lines are about the Eight as a group."

_**"On these Eight rests the Whole world's Fate.**_

_**Trust their Compassion; Teach them not to Hate,**_

_**With Honor, Trust and Love, they must be True.**_

_**Without them, the Patient Child wins past anything you can do."**_

"These lines also raise debate. A minority thinks this means everyone, Muggles included. I am one of them, and so is your mother. I think that if the enemy used Muggle weapons, He'd be familiar with the Muggle world, and might want to rule both worlds."

James and Rose stared at each other for a long minute, and then turned back to their parents. "It includes the Muggles, we think, or at least Rose has a hunch that way, and I have nothing to offer against it."

Mary looked at Rose. "Trust those hunches and feelings Rose, it might be your gift trying to tell you something. The rest of this section is almost too easy," she added. "Honor, trust and love — without these we would be no better than the Patient Child or Voldemort."

Robert commented on the next few lines. "These two lines deal with how the Eight should be."

_**"Travails, Sorrow and Loss shall be their Fate,**_

_**Unless within each other they find Heart's Mate."**_

"This is the only line your father and I disagree on. I believe that it means the Eight will form four couples and he thinks it means the bonds of people who go to war together, which is a closer bond than blood many times."

Again, the silent conversation passed between the twins. "We disagree also. Rose agrees with Dad, and I agree with you, Mom."

_**"In all the ways of the world, train them well,**_

_**For with their Victory shall ring Peace's Bell."**_

"The biggest point of debate in the entire thing. Most of the Evans clan agrees with Uncle Alexander on this, that the Eight should be trained as wizards and in Muggle warfare. I hate to say it, but I agree. As much as I hate the violence of Muggles, if nothing else, using those tactics against unprepared wizards would give our side a major advantage."

_**"This warning we give, for those who will be,**_

_**Though most will ignore, and few will see."**_

Robert was grim as he spoke about this. "Since I started tracking the signs fourteen years ago, I've tried to built a network for when the war starts. In all that time, I've gotten less than 120 people, and most of them are family."

_**"Trust in yourselves, and aid the Eight,**_

_**Else the Whole World rues its Fate."**_

"Fairly simple instructions for everyone that believes in the prophecy. The last few lines are a warning to the Eight, and everyone that depends on them. Rose is one of the Eight, and we think you could be another James, so you should both pay particular attention to the end of it."

_**"Of this last Verse, take serious note.**_

_**Should Death or Despair one of the Eight Smote,**_

_**Victory over the Patient Child will be hard to do,**_

_**Worse it will be, Never to win if the Eight lose two."**_

When Mary was done speaking the lines, there was a long silence. James and Rose were locked in another of their silent conversations, and their parents waited. Mary and Robert were very aware of the youth of their children, and this task would be a heavy weight at a time when they should be thinking of games and hobbies, rather than saving the world. Finally, they ended their silent talk and looked at their parents. James spoke quietly. "So what you trying to tell us is that in a few years we're going to be in the front of a war that will make anything that has gone before like a child's argument."

Robert nodded slowly. "Yes, that's just about it." The twins glanced at each other yet again, and turned back.

Something in their eyes was changing even as they spoke in tandem, becoming older. "What do we do now?"

Robert and Mary reached for them. Looking at each other over the heads of their children as they held them, they mourned the loss of childhood, and the innocence of youth.

Finally, the quick tapping of an owl's beak of the window drew them back, and James went to get the owl, passing the letter to his father as he fed and watered the bird. Robert set the message down and moved to his bookshelf, looking for a particular book. He drew down a slim volume, and handed it to Rose. "In that book are the personal records of every person to have the Evans Sight for almost 720 years." He smiled whimsically. "All five of them. It's yours now, until you die when it will be saved for the next Seer of the Blood. I wish I could offer better training, but the Sight affects people in different ways. Dreams are just the first manifestation. It will mature, and change, becoming another type of sight. It has been a trance state, showing what will be, and an inner sight, allowing you to track the future actions of people by the choices they make, and only time will tell how you will see the future." Robert looked gravely at his daughter. "Foresight is a heavy burden for anyone, Rose, and you will need to be strong to bear this gift."

Robert was speaking quietly, but he was not surprised when his answer game from James, caring for another owl that had arrived while he spoke to Rose. "That's not quite right. We will need to be strong, because I will always be there for Rose."

James came over and handed the second message to his father. Robert skimmed the two messages and then checked his email. "I have a bit of business to clear up, and I should be getting the first of the answers to my owls of last night fairly quick, so I'm going to be busy for a couple of hours."

Mary came over and put her arms around his neck from behind. "Then I could take the children out of your hair for a while, and we could meet at the Final Port for lunch."

Rose looked up from the book. "Where's the Final Port?"

"In Tribune," answered Robert.

The twins jumped up, grinning widely. "Tribune? Really? You're so cool, Mom." They rushed out to get ready for a trip to North America's biggest wizard community.

Robert looked at Mary and pulled her into his lap. "What's in Tribune anyway?"

"It's time for new robes, and the grand opening of Weasley Wizard Wheezes is today, so I thought they'd enjoy that." Mary nuzzled his neck for a minute before continuing. "Plus, I thought I might take them by Constance's place."

Robert pulled back far enough to look in his wife's eyes. "Going to have James tested for the Healing gift?"

"Yes, I am. We need to know if he's one of the Eight, and which one he is." Said Mary.

"He may be one of the Soulbonded, and there's no way to test for that."

Mary looked worried. "I know, and I would rather he was not part of the Prophecy than one of them."

"Mary," began Robert, but she interrupted him.

"Don't you 'Mary' me Robert Evans. You know the facts of Bonds as well as I do. Even if he and the other one get past the input, and the frenzy, you and I both know no Soulbonded couple has lived more than fifteen years past the bonding. If he bonds in his first year of school, he won't live to see his 27th birthday, and I do not want to outlive our children."

"Mary, listen to me. Right now he could be any of them, or he and Rose could be the first line."

It was Mary's turn to pull back and look at her husband. "Rose's dream has me thinking. If, as Rose's dream suggests, they attend Hogwarts, we might have been wrong about Rose being the Seer. There are at least three large families in Europe than have far more Seers than the Evans do, including the Clearwaters, where we got our Sight in the first place." Robert stopped and thought about his new idea carefully, seeking logic flaws. "Follow my thinking here. The prophecy was given in England 800 years ago, and modern America and medieval England are worlds apart. Plus they have the tightest twin link I've ever even heard of, and they share so any gifts, that being brother and sister is the least of their bonds."

"What about the Seer, Robert?"

"Like I said, there are at least three families in Europe that are known for the Gift of Sight, and any of them could have the child who will be the Seer. In fact, the Evans Sight did not show up until Elric Evans and Cassandra Clearwater bonded and married, and the Sight only shows up in their descendants. None of the rest of the Evans clan has it, not even the ones descended from Elric's brothers."

"Elric Evans? He wrote the Prophecy, though. How could it be from Cassandra's blood?"

"Legend has it that Elric lived for a day or so after Cassandra died, still the only Soulbonded to have done so. According to the letter that came with the Prophecy, the Mediwizard in charge of his case found that they were sharing the bond, with Cassandra's spirit actually in Elric's body. So technically, I suppose she wrote the prophecy."

Mary considered this thought. "So even though Rose has the Sight, she might not be the Seer?"

"Maybe." Robert grinned at his wife. "If she is the Seer though, I plan to ask for nice clear prophecies, with names, dates, and no ambiguities."

"Sure, Dad, just like a computer, right?" Rose's eyes were alight with humor as she and James came back into the room.

Robert pretended to wince, as he looked over Mary's shoulder at his children. "Are you ever going to let me forget that?" James smirked as he and Rose slipped into the back and forth speech that drove most people crazy.

"Well, it was —"

"— a nice clear —"

"— prediction, I —"

"— suppose, even if —"

"— it did predict —"

"— good sales on heating —"

"— charms because of snow —"

"— in July."

"Hey, I've already admitted trying to use a computer to run a wizard business was not my best idea, OK?" Robert kissed Mary again, and set her on her feet. He rose from the chair and hugged the twins as he spoke again. "Now that you've reminded me, go help your Mother spend money while I work, and I'll meet you in Tribune later." He looked at Mary speculatively. "Are you going to Portkey to Tribune?"

"Yes, why?" Mary asked, looking at Robert curiously.

Robert smiled. "No reason, I just thought the kids could use my key to return, and you and I could have a Family Business Meeting in the apartment later."

Mary smiled back, even as she blushed. Throwing a quick look at the twins, she spoke softly. "Who's going to be here with them?"

"Alexander will be here by noon." Mary kissed Robert good-bye, and gathered Rose and James, pulling a large, old-fashioned skeleton key from her robes. They all took hold, and disappeared.

Robert stared at the wall for several minutes, and then sat down again. He pulled a scroll and a quill from his desk, and began a long letter to Albus Dumbledore, headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.


	2. Tribune

_A/N: Still setting the scene, because while most of the Prophecy story is going to revolve around Hogwarts and Europe, there will be many stories covering North America._

**_Tribune_**

The trio appeared in the living room of a nice apartment. Neither of the twins had been in their mother's old place before, and they took a minute to look around. That their mother had decorated the apartment was obvious to the twins. It was done in a comfortable homey style, with one exception. In a corner of the living room was an old black chair that had seen better days, and better decades. Rose looked at the decrepit and battered chair, which didn't even come close to matching anything else in the room, then at her mother. "What's with the chair?' She asked, looking at it again. 

Mary followed her gaze, and smiled. Her eyes were far away, as she answered absently. "Before I married your Father, I was not the richest woman, and that was part of the furniture I had then." 

James and Rose looked at their mother, and back at the chair. They sensed an evasion, and James continued the question. "I believe what Rose means, is why is it still here? You've got enough furniture to get rid of it, and it is kind of beat up." 

"Brother mine, that chair passed 'kind of beat up' before we were born." 

Mary smiled again as she answered them. "When your father and I were dating, we spent a great many hours curled up in that chair, reading and cuddling. It's still his favorite chair." 

James was looking at the clock. "If we're going to get any shopping done before the opening of Weasley's we have to go Mom." 

Mary grinned at her son. "How did you know about that?" 

"Please, it's only been in the paper for a month, and we were going to ask to be here, but then Rose started with the nightmares, and that was more important." 

"Then we should be going." Mary led them out on to the street. This part of Tribune was mostly little stores, with apartments above them and about five blocks long. Under Mary's apartment was a bakery, and Mary felt a wave of nostalgia as she recalled many mornings sitting in front of the bakery discussing everything and anything with her friends, one of whom had introduced her to a tall green eyed man some eighteen years ago. "We have to stop in the bakery for a minute." 

 Inside the bakery, Mary grinned at the twins and motioned them to silence. When she spoke, her voice had the tone of an old money snob. "Goodman, something low fat, and without sugar." James and Rose watched the proprietor to see what he's do. At first, it seemed that he had not heard her, and then they saw the red flush crawling up his neck. Without turning around from the tray of pastries he was working on, he placed a rock on the counter. 

"That's the only thing in this store without sugar Lady, and low fat too." He voice was low and raspy; as if he was growling the words he spoke. 

When their mother spoke again, her voice was back to normal, and filled with affection and mirth. "Really Kevil, are you ever going to make anything that doesn't make me fat?" At her first words, Kevil had stiffened, and by the time she finished, he had turned and was grinning an impossibly large grin. 

"Penny child." He tried to look stern but the effect was ruined by the smile on his face. "So. You leave me for years, and come waltzing back in, probably wanting credit, and expect me to be happy about it?" 

Mary's attempt to look pathetic was ruined for the same reason Kevil's stern act had been. "Well, I am just a little short this week." The baker reached out with an arm that looked as though it would reach the front door from where he stood, and dragged Mary into a hug. 

James and Rose were examining him with interest. Kevil was only about 5'6", but he was nearly as wide as he was tall, and from what the twins could see, the rock was not the only low fat thing in the store. His face was broad and looked as if it had been carved from the rock on the counter. Mary was trying to return his hug, but where his arms were wrapped around her almost twice, Mary's arms wouldn't even touch behind him. Releasing her, the shopkeeper looked at the twins. "No need to ask who these two are, not with your face and those eyes." 

"Kevil, this is James and Rose." 

"How do you do Sir?" two voices spoke as one. 

Kevil looked around. "Sir? Who is this Sir? My name is Kevil" 

Mary spoke again. "Kevil, I want my usual, and kids, what do you want?" While the twins inspected the myriad goods on display, Mary leaned close to Kevil. "Did you get Robert's owl?" 

"Yes, and my response is on its way back." He examined the twins as thoroughly as they had done him earlier. "Are we sure about this?" 

"Yes." Mary's answer was short and Kevil looked sharply at her, but let it pass for now.

"Which are they? The Seer and who?" 

"Right this minute we're not even sure of the Seer." Mary looked sideways at him. "Is Constance still in the same shop?" 

Kevil appraised her. "Testing for the healing gift?" 

"Yes, and despite what you think of her, she's the best healer in the country." Kevil blushed suddenly, and muttered something Mary didn't quite catch. "What did you say?" 

"I said She's not that bad." Kevil was avoiding her eyes, and his face was even redder than when she had been teasing him.

Mary stared at him, taking in the blushing, and the way he was avoiding her eyes. Her jaw dropped and her eyes went round with astonishment. "Kevil? You and Constance? Or does she know?" 

A new voice entered the conversation. "Does Constance know her fiancé is head to head with some man stealing actress you mean?" Two sets of blazing green eyes examined the short heavyset woman that had entered the store unnoticed. A split second's thought, and James and Rose joined the three adults at the counter, with James passing close to the middle aged blonde woman, and Rose moving up closer to Kevil and Mary. The whole thing was done in less than ten seconds, and they looked at their mother, who was laughing? 

Mary was completely dumbfounded. "Excuse me," She finally got out through the giggles, "but weren't you the two that were asked to moved your shops at least five blocks apart, so you wouldn't argue in the streets anymore?" 

Kevil's blush was deepening, but Constance brushed the comment aside. "That was in our younger days." She grinned, shooting Kevil a wicked look. "Since then we've found better things to spend our passions on." Kevil closed his eyes, and his face got even redder. He mumbled something about baking to check on, and fled into the rear of the shop. As the two women embraced and began talking about friends, the twins were regretting their sudden actions of a few minutes prior. Silently they decided to confess, and James moved up next to their mother. The two women looked at them. 

"So these are your twins?" Constance said, and James and Rose were introduced again. 

"Umm, Mom we've got something to tell you." James muttered. 

Mary raised one eyebrow as she recognized his embarrassment. "What is it James?" 

 James spoke in a rush. "Well, when she made that actress comment, Rose and I were upset, and might have acted a bit hastily." 

Mary figured out what he meant quickly. "Which one did you use?" 

James grinned a bit sheepishly. "Actually, it's a new one Rose and I have been working on." 

Constance was following the exchange and broke in. "What ever are you talking about? Am I going to blow up or something?" She looked down at herself. "That would make an awful mess you know." 

Mary smiled at her. "No, the twins' pranks are more annoying than painful." She looked at James and Rose again. "So, what exactly is going to happen?" 

James grinned, and began explaining with the pride of an inventor. "It's an adaptation of the '_Speculum dorsum_' spell that people use to see their own backs. I put an activator disk on Constance, and Rose put the other half on Kevil. The next time Kevil comes close to you, your image will be cast over him, and all you will see is you, as if you were looking in a mirror." 

Constance thought about that. "That might be surprising the first time, but not really funny." 

James grinned, and his eyes were alight with a twisted humor. "Well, we thought so also, so it has one more little twist. You are the only one that will see it. Imagine trying to explain to people that Kevil looks like you, when none of them can see it, and casting a _Finite Incantatem_ won't work either, because the spell itself is not on the person, but on yourself." 

Constance thought about that. "That could drive somebody crazy. I like it. Do you have another you can place on Kevil?" James grinned, and brought out a small pouch. Reaching inside, he pulled out a handful of small wooden disks about half an inch wide. Each disk was marked with a green rose on one side and various other markings on the other side. Checking the markings, he held up a disk. 

Mary grinned at Constance. "I always told you your mouth would get you in trouble." 

Constance was unrepentant. "What can I say? I was not expecting bodyguards at Kevil's shop, and certainly not from my friends." 

Mary looked at her sharply. "How did you know I'd be here anyway? I only decided to come this morning." 

Her friend merely rolled her eyes. "I'm not stupid youngster. Robert sent the alert out, and from our correspondence of the last three years, figuring out you'd be bringing the kids to me for testing was a no brainer, and I don't think you can come within a hundred miles and not stop in here. Although, two years is far too long between visits." 

Mary nodded. "I think so. I mean, you and Kevil? I thought you and Johann were an item." 

Constance made a face, as if something tasted bad. "That peacock fell for a dancer from the Floating Platform." As the two women sat at a table chatting about old friends and places, James and Rose moved to a table at the front of the store to watch the people passing by. 

Kevil came back out, and took care of some customers that had come in. Seeing the women talking, he took them a tray of drinks and pastries, and brought another to the twins. He smiled at them. "Those two will be at least an hour, you might as well enjoy the wait." Rose thanked him for the tray, and the twins began eating as they used their nonverbal speech to talk. They finished deciding on a name for the new prank, and their talk turned to the prophecy. As they discussed it, the hot chocolate and pastries were forgotten, and Rose pulled her copy from her robes. Setting it on the table, they began going over it again, one line at a time. 

Mary and Constance were watching them. "Will you test them for the gift?" 

Constance just looked at her. "I don't have to Penny, even you should be able to see they don't have even a touch of it, just by looking at their aura." 

Mary grimaced. "Auras never were my strongest point, and I haven't even looked at one in ten years, I might have missed it." 

Constance watched the flow of emotions over Mary's face and spoke sympathetically. "Mary, don't let your fears as a mother inhibit them. This is going to be hard enough on them without you holding them back." 

"I know that, but it's so hard." 

"I know. I lost my only child in the Voldemort war." Constance's eyes were far away and misty as she remembered a laughing boy, and the box he came home in for the last time. "No matter how we feel, if we do anything but support them, we will lose even more. Jeremy was my son, but more important, he was my friend. Being friends with your grown children is a large honor, and I can say he was mine."

Constance turned bitter for a minute. "Not that you could help them anyway, this war will be for the young. Swords and arrows are not for older people like us." 

"Bullets either." Mary said grimly. 

The older wizard was skeptical. "I still don't think that will work, Most of the wizard's world is charmed to prevent those kinds of things from working." 

Mary took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. "That's just it. Robert and I have been testing those wards, and if you fire a bullet from outside, it will still hit its target. Plus," Mary lowered her voice even further. "Robert found an old charm that allows muggle things to pass the wards." 

Constance stared at her in shock. "How hard is it, and how many people know about it?" 

"Not hard at all, and the basic theory is in at least two old books that are uncommon, but not rare." Said Mary quietly.

"Any more good news for me?" asked Constance wryly.

"No, I think that covers it." Mary looked at her watch, and told Constance they had to be going. She stood up, and Rose caught the motion. Both of them looked at her and she inclined her head towards the door. 

Kevil came over to say good-bye, and as he did, the disk that Rose had stuck to his sleeve put his image over Constance. Kevil jumped, and stared at her. Mary had to shake his arm to drag his attention to her. 

They said their good-byes, and Mary had a request. "Kevil, you made a dinner for me a long time ago, that first dinner for two." 

Kevil smiled. I remember it, and as I recall, it was followed by the first breakfast for two." 

Mary blushed and slapped his arm. "Your memory is entirely too good, but if you could deliver that dinner again, around seven?" 

 "For you Penny-child, I will do it." Kevil looked at her severely. "Although, if it takes you two years to come back and see us, we won't invite you to the wedding." 

 Mary grinned. "Oh the horror, how could I miss that? Robert is never going to believe it unless we're there." 

Constance was looking at Mary with an impish gleam in her eyes. "Mary you're quite red over a dinner, you wouldn't be CKTing tonight would you?" 

 Mary turned a darker shade of red at the verbal slang they had used years ago for cuddling, kissing and touching. "Not exactly, Robert and I are just going to have a Family Business Meeting." 

Constance smirked. "I remember that one." 

As they talked, Constance caught Kevil staring at her again. She knew why he was staring, but pretended to be annoyed. "Kevil, what is your problem? We're saying good-bye, not dancing nude in the streets." Kevil mumbled something as the Evans left, and their last sight of the two was a confused Kevil trying to explain what he was seeing to a seemingly unbelieving Constance. 

As they headed for the street where all the larger shops were, James asked Mary, "Neither of us have the Healing talent do we Mom?" 

Mary walked on a few steps before replying. "No, and that's all we say in public." 

James tried to say something else, but Mary cut him off. "Not another word." James blinked at the firm tone and left it alone for now. 

As they walked down the street, passing shops that sold everything from potions supplies to used books and even muggle artifacts, James asked, "Mom why does Kevil and Constance call you Penny?" 

Mary was silent for a few minutes, and her eyes were far away. She shook her head and answered him quietly. "That's a long story James, and this is not the time to go into it. I will tell you all about it soon though." 

James and Rose looked at each other, putting together a few facts, and many guesses. "When you do, will it explain why we've never met any of your family Mom?" Rose asked. 

Mary looked at the twins sharply, and smiled wryly. "Yes, it will. But that too is a subject better left for home." At the next corner, they turned on to the main street of Tribune. Here there were no apartments, only the biggest businesses in the wizard world. Gringotts had a branch here, as well as Binklestocks, the bookstore that had a copy of every book ever written, and would make you a copy, if you had the money. As they came to Gringotts, Mary told the kids she had to stop in. 

James grinned. "That's good, Rose and I have some business with them also" 

Mary smiled at them. "Going to try to beat your father?" 

"Not yet, but this is too good an opportunity to pass up, and Dad helped us with the strategy. We should be able to work something out, and if we do, we'll need that vault." 

Mary shook her head. "My budding tycoons. I feel sorry for everyone that has to deal with you when you two are running Cumulus." 

Cumulus was the name of the Evans family businesses, and it had many fingers stretching into all lifestyles, and even holdings in the muggle world. While the Evans holdings were not as large as the Pendragon fortune, or the Merlin family money, they were listed among the top ten richest families in the wizard world. James had been doing some quiet research, and suspected that if anyone but Robert actually knew everything Cumulus was into, they might be ranker higher than they were. In Gringotts, Mary went to the Evans vault while the twins opened an account in the name of the Green Flower business. By the time Mary returned, they were done, and they set off for the opening of the first North American branch of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. 

Along the way, the younger Evans were busy refining their plan to attract the attention of Fred and George Weasley. As they approached the crowd gathering, the twins were picking out targets for their disks. Rose turned to James. "Which one?" 

James grinned. "Rainbow Friends. I'll get the wizard in the green and lilac robes." 

"I'll get the witch in yellow over there, and meet you in front of the stage." The two split up, worming through the crowds as only young children can do, making sure to pass within arm's reach of their chosen victims. In front of the stage, their watched as Fred (Or maybe George) put the final changes on several displays. The other Weasley twin came out of the store, and joined his brother. George and Fred had remained youthful, with only a few lines and a sprinkling of gray hair to show the passing years. 

George was looking over the crowd estimating how many were gawking and how many would buy when two small heads caught his eye. Something about them was familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on what, and he was about to say something to Fred when the boy looked up at the stage. The green eyes brought back a memory twenty years old, then the other head turned his way, and he got another shock. "Fred, look at this. Those two kids there by the Ginny Gems table." 

Fred looked, and swore softly. "That looks like Harry that first year." 

"Almost, but his hair was never that neat. Now, put red hair on the girl, and think about Harry's picture album." 

Fred squinted at them again. "Looks a lot like what I remember of Lily, from the early pictures Hagrid gave him." 

"I thought so too. I wonder if we'll get a chance to talk to them." 

"I don't know about talking to them, but right now, it's time to open." The two had the opening down to an art after opening 7 branches in Europe, and as Fred gave a short humorous speech, George threw various small pranks into the group of children standing near the stage. As Fred finished his speech, there was a commotion in the back of the crowd.

From their vantage point on the stage, Fred and George looked out, and quickly spotted the problem. A number of wizards and witches standing there had suddenly turned colors. Not just any colors, but loud screaming neon colors not found in nature. Electric blues clashed with screaming yellows. After a few seconds, the colors switched places, jumping from person to person in a circle. From their higher viewpoint, the Weasleys could see the circles were centered on two people, and they looked at each other. Fred was chuckling softly. "Not a bad prank, although it could use a few touches." As they watched the show, they didn't notice the sable haired pair they had seen earlier approaching the stage. 

George grinned as the show ended. "That would be a good addition to our product line." 

A young voice from the front of the stage spoke. "That sounds like our cue." 

Fred and George looked down to see the two people they had been discussing. "You see, my sister and I invented the Rainbow Friends." Fred and George looked at each other. 

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Fred murmured rhetorically. 

After they finished talking to the Weasleys, James and Rose went looking for their mother, and found her just outside the store, talking to an older wizard. They slowed as they came close, noting two things. Judging by the cut and material of his robes, the haughty wizard was very well off at least, but far more important to the twins, their mother was quietly furious with him. They moved up on each side of her staring at the older man. Mary was speaking in a tightly controlled voice. "No. You don't understand. Twenty years ago, He lost the right to order me around. I made an attempt at peace fifteen years ago, and again ten years ago and was snubbed both times. So you just run on back to the Patriarch and tell him that if he wants to talk to Robert and I, he can damn well come to us." James and Rose blinked as they heard their mother swear for the first time. Mary put an arm around her children. "Now, if you will excuse us, My Children and I have things to do." Something in the way she stressed the words 'my children' made the older man flinch. 

As they started to turn away, he spoke again. "Don't you dare turn your back on me Marilyn P" 

Mary twisted, cutting his sentence off as if she had used a knife. "Are you stupid, or merely so arrogant that a new thought can't penetrate your skull? My name is Mary Evans. I neither acknowledge nor answer to anything else." As the silver haired wizard started to lose his regal bearing, James and Rose took a hand in the situation. They moved up next to him, and each of them gripped the sleeves of his robes, pulling him down to where they could speak quietly in his ear. 

 They used the back and forth speech that always made people stop and listen to them to be sure they heard correctly. "Sir, we don't know you," 

"But you're annoying our mother," 

"And we don't like that." 

"So unless you want us to cause" 

"A very messy and very public" 

"Spectacle in the street," 

"You'll leave right now." They let him go and moved back to stand next to their mother, pulling a handful of disks from their pockets as they did so. The older wizard stared at them, flushing an angry red. 

He looked around, at the people watching them, and spoke again. "You have not heard the end of this Marilyn Elizabeth Pendragon." 

With that parting comment, he disapparated away, leaving the twins in shock. Mom was a Pendragon? The Pendragons were the oldest and largest family in the wizard world with the sole exception of the Merlins, and the two families had intermarried so many times over the years that they were practically one family. They put the disks away, deep in the silent link they shared. Mary sighed, looking at them. "I think we'll be having that talk a little sooner than I had planned on." She took a deep breath, pushing her anger down as she started walking again. The twins trailed after, and after a few steps, began giggling. Mary looked at them, instantly recognizing the signs. "What did you do to him?" 

Rose spoke first. "When we had his sleeves, I planted a 'dirty face' on his robes." 

James attempted to look innocent, although the mischief in his eyes ruined the act. "It should go well with the 'tattered robes' one I planted on him." Mary burst out laughing at the thought of the regal wizard looking like a beggar. 

When she stopped, she looked sideways at her children. "You do know that was the Merlin don't you? Senior member of the Merlin clan?" James and Rose lit up, and stopped. James pulled a small notebook from his robes and wrote something down. 

He grinned at Rose. "That leaves just six more to go." Mary raised an eyebrow inquisitively. 

Answering the unspoken question, Rose smiled at their mother. "We're trying to prank at least one member of every family in the North American Book of Gold before we go to school in the fall." 

James was checking the book again. "We've got just six families left, and then possibly five more, where the person we pranked was only married into the family." 

Mary shook her head. "The Book of Gold? You aim high don't you?" The Book of Gold was a list of the 30 oldest and biggest wizard families in North America, and held such families as the Pendragons, Merlins, Penwall and more. 

"You know what dad says, 'Always reach as high as you can,'" James and Rose chorused, " 'you may not succeed, but you'll get somewhere at least' " 

As they reached a tailor's shop and Mary stopped to go in she smiled at her children again.  " I believe he was talking about business when he said that." 

The twins turned identical innocent looks on her. "But Mom, pranks are our business." Mary laughed, and warned the twins that these people were old friends, and not to prank them. Flushing at the reminder of their misguided prank on Constance earlier, they agreed. 

Inside the shop, Mary led them towards the back, waving at some of the people working. The smell of fabrics filled the air, and there were a goodly number of people being fitted for robes. In the back of the store, an old man was sewing a robe, and murmuring quietly while he did. James and Rose caught the flash of magic around his fingers and the needle as he sewed and looked at each other. Mary spoke to him, using the same pathetic tone she had tried to use on Kevil earlier. "Pardon me, but do you have a job for me?" 

The old wizard's fingers kept sewing even as he looked up at Mary, smiling broadly. "For you? No, I don't think so. Last time I gave you a job, you were here barely three years, and you left to get married. Now you have children. Come see me when they're grown and gone." 

Mary sighed theatrically. "Then who should I see about fittings?" She asked. The tailor looked at the twins, and sobered. 

Without taking his eyes from them, he questioned Mary. "I suppose you'll be wanting the special robes?" 

Mary was just as sober. "Of course. I could have gotten regular robes anywhere, and not come halfway across the country for them." 

The old man nodded, finished with his inspection of the twins. "See Ronald then, and tell him what you want." Mary touched the elderly tailor, and thanked him. The affection was back as he shooed them off. "Go child, you're interfering with my profit margin." 

Mary was smiling, remembering her years of working in this shop, before she married Robert. She found Ronald, and they exchanged hugs before he started measuring the twins. As he worked, He and Mary kept up a constant stream of talk about people they knew. When the twins were done, they moved to the front of the shop to watch the street as Mary was measured for robes. After they were done, and the robes paid for, they headed to the Final Port to meet their father for lunch. Along the way, Mary cautioned them about the Inn. "Kids, this is a strange place, but two things will never change about it. Everyone in there is a good person, no matter what they look like, and you'll always be safe there." Despite their attempts, that was all Mary would say. By the time they reached the entrance, the twins were wildly curious.

The entrance to the Port was in an alley, and was a simple door, with no sign or anything to show what was inside. When Mary knocked on the door, a man opened it. Possibly, he was a short giant because the man that opened the door had to duck to stick his head out, and his shoulders were every bit as wide as the door. James was certain he could have taken the door's place quite easily. He looked at them, greeting Mary and then looked at the twins. For one brief second, they felt something, as if his eyes looked under their skin, into their very souls. Eyes wide they stared at him, until he nodded slowly, and moved aside to let them in. 

Inside the door, James and Rose looked around slightly disappointed. After the cryptic comments their mother had given, they were expecting a dim smoky hole in the wall, with strange beings and sneaky bearings. What they saw was a well lit and clean Inn, with about fifteen tables, most of which had normal looking people at them. Robert waved at them from one of the tables, and they joined him. Chatter about their morning took them through lunch, which was a savory stew with warm breadsticks and a tart cranberry juice to wash it down. Robert nearly choked on a breadstick when he heard they'd pranked the Merlin. "Pompous fool needs it." Was all he would say about it, although there was an undercurrent of anger in his voice when he spoke of the Merlin.

As they were eating the strawberry pie that was desert, James frowned. He had just seen a wizard appear from one of the three booths he could see from his seat. He caught Rose's eye and they spoke silently. Watching the booths, they soon realized there was some sort of spell on them. When a person went into the booth, you could not see them until they left it again. When James said something to his father about it, Robert just shrugged. "Not all of the clients want to be seen." was all he would say and then he changed the subject. 

After lunch, they spent a pleasant couple of hours wandering through the smaller shops, looking at rare things, and many strange things. Robert bought Mary a magic backscratcher that sent the twins to whispering together. Their parents just shook their heads, knowing that a new prank was being born, based on the backscratcher somehow. In a bookstore, James found a nearly unread copy of a book and bought it for Rose telling her that if she was going to dream about it, she could read about it too. Rose looked at the cover. "Hogwarts, a History" She read, and flipped to the index. "Look at this, Lily and Harry are mentioned in here." Mary and Robert had to drag them away from the book at that point. The twins found a muggle thing, and bought it after playing with it for a few minutes. They gave it to their father, saying it could replace his computer. After looking at the 'Magic eight ball' Robert laughed, and agreed it would work just as well for wizard business.

After a while, Mary gave the twins the port key, and they said good-bye, with hugs all around. As the twins ported home, Mary and Robert smiled at each other, and headed for Mary's old apartment, unaware of the bright red hearts on their backs, which read "We're in Love" every time they touched. Back at the house, James and Rose pulled out the little book and made a notation. "That gives us a Pendragon by birth, and an Evans." 

The voice that came from the shadows was low, and very menacing. "And two dead children who don't pay attention to what's around them."

_A/N: A low menacing voice in the shadows?  Tune in next chapter to find out who or what the voice belongs to, although readers with a good memory should be able to guess.  At this point, Twins vs. Twins and Mary's story are the shorts of the day, along with Interlude chapters one and two, Letters, and all of Mercy's story.  I have to assume that if you're reading Prophecy, you've already read Elric's story, as that was the very first part of the story, sort of the Prologue.  Of course, now comes the standard request for reviews.  However, I hate standard, so I'm going to ask another way.  ~Gets on knees~  ***Begging tone*** Please review my work, or I shall surely pine away to nothing… and then I would leave you with just ten plot bunnie stories and eight chapters posted.  Since that doesn't even finish first year… well, you get the idea.  Read and review please.  ~Gets off knees~ Ok, see you next chapter dear readers._


	3. Beginnings

_A/N:  Shortest chapter I ever wrote, and even shorter than most of my plot bunnies._

_Standard disclaimers apply:  If you recognize it, it's not mine, and if you don't, that means you haven't read as many books as I have._

**_Preparations_**

James and Rose jumped, spinning to face the large man in the corner of the room, before the voice registered. They relaxed, and Rose was the first to speak. "Why the scare tactics Uncle Alexander?" Uncle Alexander was a near copy of his younger brother Robert, but he had the muscles of a man that did hard physical activity for a living, and the ramrod straight posture that said military to anyone that knew. As the oldest brother, Alexander would be the head of the Evans Clan, but Alexander was a squib. Born without any magical talent at all, He had gone on to an exemplary career in the American muggle's army, and had long advocated closer ties between the two worlds. After his retirement from the army a couple of years back, he had opened a bookstore in Billings Montana that catered to both worlds.

"Robert has brought me up to date. That means that in a few years, you two are going to be front line troops in a war. Learning a little simple caution won't hurt you a bit." He grinned suddenly. "Or at least not much." Alexander swept the two into a hug. "I assume your father has gone over the prophecy with you, but I am going to lay a different view on it on you." Alexander smiled again. "I love Robert, but once he gets an idea in his head, it take a large stick to dislodge it. For example, He thinks we have 8-9 years before the war begins, and I disagree. I think we have less." James and Rose stared at him. 

"How much less, and why?" asked James. 

"Four or five years less. I think the Peace era began when we started pushing Voldemort back, and he was no longer attacking. After all, that is when most people 'Saw nothing frightening'." Recognizing the quote from the prophecy, James and Rose pulled their copies out and began looking at them again. 

As they were sitting down, James made a small protest. "Wait a minute, if the war is going to start that soon, where are the Eight?" 

"Read it again. It says they rise in the darkest hour, after the Patient Child strikes the first blow." As they began going over the Prophecy again, their Uncle took a minute to look around the room. 

The large fireplace was the focal point of the room with a large sectional and several easy chairs angled so that everyone could see each other and the fireplace. A number of lamps and lanterns were scattered around, and the room could be made ready to entertain muggles or wizards in a very few minutes. Alexander moved over with the twins, and once again they went over the prophecy line by line, but this time, their uncle offered them all the different ways to interpret it. Long into the night, they spoke, with Uncle Alexander giving them advice, and telling them where they were going from here. 

The next morning He began showing them exercises to strengthen both mind and body. Books by authors from both worlds on strategy and tactics came out and he advised them to read them carefully. "Two things are more useful than anything else when you're preparing to fight. The first is discipline. I can't make you do the exercise, and I can't make you study those books, you have to do it on your own. That is called self-discipline, and it is the first step to victory. Proper preparation is the next most important thing. Know your equipment, know yourself, and what you can do with what you have, and the battle is half over before it starts." Alexander paused and looked at James. "You are going to have to control that temper too." James started to say something, and his uncle just stared at him. "I was at the Junior Quidditch finals remember? I know very well that you inherited the Pendragon temper from your mother, and you cannot lose that temper in a fight. In fact, you cannot even lose that temper after you've been training for any amount of time. I am going to teach you to fight with your hands, a discipline called Aikido. If you use that on somebody you can kill them." James and Rose looked at him wide-eyed. He raised an eyebrow, and spoke gently. "I know you're young to hear that, but if this war goes down the worst case path, and I think it will, lots of people are going to die. I am going to show you how to make sure it's not you." 

The summer passed quickly with the new training. Rose was also reading the Evans Sight book, and trying to refine her sight. It was still too vague to be of much use, but the book suggested that that would not always be the case. Between the martial arts classes and the gymnastics, the twins were beginning to build firm graceful bodies, and the mental exercises their Uncle had them do were shaping their awareness of the world around them. Memorization was one of the key exercises. Alexander would lay out a number of items on a sheet, and have them look at them for a minute. Later that day, or the next day, He would ask them to write down what had been there and where it was in relation to everything else. Something their Uncle called 'situational awareness' was also heavily trained. Uncle Alexander would have them walk through an area, and then quiz them on what had been in that area. Reaction drills, tactical drills and a host of other training techniques culled from a long career as a muggle soldier insured that the twins were very busy over the summer. This set the pattern for the summer, until the middle of august, when Robert announced that they were taking a week off for a trip. They would be leaving the next day, and he warned them to pack formal robes as well as daily robes. When the twins asked him where they were going, all he said was that patience was a virtue.

Early the next morning, the twins sent off the last of the pranks they had licensed to the Weasleys, and waited impatiently for their parents to be ready to go. The twins had packed the night before, and about 8:00 am, Robert portkeyed them to the east coast, and then pulled a second Portkey out. A few seconds later, the family appeared in a small wizard village, and Robert smiled. "Welcome to Hogsmeade." 

_A/N:  See? Told you it was short.  Now, you should have read Letters, Calculated Risk, Twins vs. Twins, Mercy's story, Mary's story and Interlude chapters 1 and 2 by now.  What?  What do you mean you haven't?  Sheesh.  I know the story is fun, but those shorts are fun too, and provide a bit of light hearted fun for the most part, or in the case of Interlude, provide the Patient Child's viewpoint about the war.  ~Makes shooing motions~  Go on with you now… go read the shorts.  I'll even make you a deal.  You go read the shorts, and I won't ask for any reviews for this chapter ok?  Good.  Go read then._


	4. Allies

_A/N: Harry and Ginny, and the first meeting of the Eight, as well as Hogwarts first night, the sorting ceremony and an enemy who is not an enemy. In fact, I believe every major character and some of the minor ones will be mentioned in this chapter, except for the mysterious Mercy. One last note, which I forgot to mention earlier.  Any words in Italics are purely mental, and cannot be heard with the physical ear.  Right now, James and Rose are the only ones that can do that._

_Once again with the disclaimers. I do not own anything but the plot, a few names and a couple of plot gimmicks._

**_Allies_**

Rose looked for the school she had been dreaming about for over two months, but Hogwarts was not visible from here. James was looking towards Hogsmeade, and he grinned as he saw the WWW of the Weasley's joke shop had replaced Zonko's. He made a mental note to check the Green Flower's profits as they looked at the town. 

"Albus Dumbledore and I have been owling for some time now, and we decided to meet and I thought we'd make a vacation out of it as well.  We have an appointment in about 2 hours to meet with Albus and some people he has brought into the project." Robert ran his hand through his hair as he finished speaking. The Evans family walked over to the pub, a place called The Three Broomsticks. They sat down and ordered a tea and coca, mostly because Robert didn't think Europeans could make real coffee. 

He shrugged when James innocently pointed out that such an attitude was prejudiced. "I know it, but I like my coffee a little different than they make it over here, and I can never get anyone to make it the way I like it." 

Rose looked at the ceiling. "Maybe that's because the way you like it, you need a steel cup and wards to keep it in the cup?" 

"Hey, my coffee is not that strong." Their father protested.

 Mary looked over at Robert. "Robert, your coffee is so strong we have two coffee pots, one for you, and one for the rest of us." 

Robert rolled his eyes. "If all of you are going to gang up on me, I'll just drop it." They chatted for a while, and then James and Rose asked to be excused. They were told to be back in an hour, as they still had the meeting to go to. 

James and Rose wandered around the small village discussing James's idea. Since they were alone, they used the silent speech. "_Do you really think we need this Brother?" _

_"I don't know, but I would rather have it, and not need it than need it and not have it." _

_"You know Mom and Dad would help." _

_"Yes, but the idea is a place nobody but ourselves knows about." _

_"How do plan to do that?" _

_"A new business, financed by the Green Flower, but entirely separate, like the Jade Lily holdings or some such." _

_"I think you're paranoid brother mine." _

_"Hey, even noids have enemies." _Wandering down a side street, they found what James had been looking for. No. 8 Quaffle Ln was a non-descript older place, with an air of disuse, and a heavily overgrown garden. "_Rose, can you see anything?" _

Rose concentrated, trying to see the house with her other sight. _"Nothing." _

_"Good enough, there's nothing bad at least." _

_"Nothing good either brother." _

_"Calculated risk Sister." _

Rose rolled her eyes at James's favorite phrase, one he used every time they were doing something with an uncertain outcome. _James, one of these days, your 'calculated risk' is going to seriously bite you on the butt, and I'm going to rub it in for months, but I'll be nice enough to wait until after you get out of the hospital to do so." _

_"Why Sister mine, are you saying I'm careless?" _The mock-injured tone of his mental voice was accompanied by an image of his best innocent look. 

"_Careless? You? No, but you walk, no, run where giants and dragons think twice about going. I need you James, and now, it appears the whole world will need us, so try not to get us killed ok?" _

_"I'm not that bad." _ His protest was met with skepticism. 

"_Pardon me? Aren't you the one that went into a cave after a injured wolverine? The one that climbed the Daggerfall cliff when that stupid muggle shot the eagles? Just to rescue one chick?" _

_"All of that was carefully thought out, and I didn't get hurt too badly either time. More important, I saved the wolverine, her cubs and the eagle didn't I?" _Rose shook her head. She knew that James had a streak of White Knight running through him just a little smaller than the Nile River, and even more unstoppable. 

They rejoined they parents for the walk to Hogwarts, still carrying on their talk. Robert and Mary had seen this many times, and the walk was in silence. At the front door of Hogwarts, a wizard with oily black hair and an arrogant demeanor that had James fingering a number of disks in his pocket met them. Rose sent him a quelling thought as they followed him to the Headmaster's office. "_James, that may be one of our teachers, do you really want to prank him when you can't hide who did it?" _James sighed, and left the disk in his pocket. At a gargoyle statue, the wizard muttered a password, and led them up a flight of stairs to an overcrowded office. There were ten or twelve people in the office, but Rose only had eyes for the old wizard sitting behind the desk. She had never met Dumbledore, but after two months of dreaming, his face was as familiar as her own. 

Albus Dumbledore looked at the twins that would soon be his responsibility, and saw two children, much like any other children that had attended Hogwarts through the years, until you really looked into their eyes.  First year students had an air of innocence that came from being naïve, but these two had none of that. They had scanned every person in the room when they came in, and then looked at him. The three evaluated each other for a minute, and then Albus spoke. "I believe some introductions are in order here. Starting on my left, this is Fred and George Weasley, Ron and Hermoine Weasley, Rubin Hagrid, Dustin and Valerie Clearwater, Jose Amigo, Harry and Virginia Potter, Richard and Penelope Longbottom and Professors Snape, McGonagall, and Hooch. Everyone, this is Robert and Mary Evans, and their children, James and Rose."

The next few minutes were murmured hellos, and everybody looking at everyone else. Harry Potter of course, was familiar to everyone, as was the Weasley clan, but Hagrid was a bit of a surprise. Standing close to two and a half meters, he looked as though he could pick himself up with one hand. Dustin and Valerie Clearwater were an average couple, so utterly non-descript as to be invisible. Richard Longbottom was another famous face from the Voldemort war, as was his wife, and the twins managed to avoid looking at the brutal scarring that covered both of them. Had it not been for a daring rescue pulled by Harry and the Weasleys, the Longbottoms would have gone the way of Neville's parents (their cousins), and they still showed the effects of more than four days spent at the mercy of the Death Eaters. James and Rose grinned at 'Jose Amigo', the slightly criminal wizard that worked with their father, and had many contacts among the criminal wizards. While most wizards were good people, there was an underground of thieves, fences and other crooks; and 'Jose' seemed to know every one of them.

The British wizard saw three people cut from one mold, with black hair and the vivid green eyes that marked an Evans as if it was written on their foreheads, and a tall regal woman with warm brown eyes and hair. After everyone settled down, Robert and Dumbledore took turns bringing everyone up to date on where they stood. The adults discussed options and plans for an hour or so, while James and Rose listened. Only once did they interrupt, because Rose had seen something about the topic they were discussing. When they finished, there was a moment of silence, before Hagrid asked the question that most of them had been thinking. "Can we put a name to the Eight yet?"

Dumbledore pulled a list of the first year students out of his desk. "Rose, if you would be so kind, tell us about the people in your dream again." He said. 

Rose closed her eyes, calling up the scene in the great hall with her other sight. "There is a girl with the Evans eyes and red hair, and another redhead with brown eyes." The Potters and Weasleys looked at each other. 

Ginny Potter was saying "Tiffany" even as Hermoine was saying "Emma." 

Dumbledore nodded, "So I have thought. It would be strange indeed to have something like this going on, and not have those two involved, given their parents." 

Rose continued. "There is a really big boy, nearly Dad's size, sitting next to a pale blonde girl, and a girl with black hair and eyes. The last three are James and myself, and a boy with brown hair and eyes." 

Hagrid grinned. "The big boy would be Hangeld, my son." 

Everyone looked at Dumbledore, who was frowning. "The brown haired boy could be any one of a dozen on this list, although I favor Colin and Blaise's son Daniel. The black haired girl only fits one student, and that is Melissa Xavier, of the Xavier clan. The problem is, the Xaviers have always been Hufflepuffs."

Robert had looked up at the first mention of the Xavier name. "I think this one might make it into Gryffindor. If you remember, Debra Xavier was the Mediwizard that treated Elric when the Prophecy was given. I find it wildly outlandish that an Xavier would be here now, and not be part of this." Robert looked around. "Unless there's anyone else on that list that might fit?" 

Dumbledore shook his head. "None. That though, is a minor problem compared to the last name. The pale blonde girl can only be Lisa Malfoy."

The British wizards flinched, and hatred blazed in most of their eyes at the Malfoy name. The Evans looked blank, except for Robert who merely looked resigned. Seeing the blank looks, Dumbledore explained the problem. 

During the Voldemort war, Lisa's Father and grandfather had been on Voldemort's side until the tide turned, and Voldemort started losing. When things were at the worst, Draco Malfoy had cut a deal with the Ministry of Magic. He gave up his father, a high-ranking Death Eater, and a map to Voldemort's hide out. He also gave the MOM a map of the buildings, and in return, Draco got a three-year sentence to Azkaban, and all other penalties dropped. While the Malfoys had been very quiet since the War's end, hatred for them still ran high in the European wizard world, as Lucius and Draco had betrayed the MOM's plans in the beginning, causing the deaths of nearly 20 wizards, including Percy and Charlie Weasley.

Rose flashed on the future. She followed the path as far as she could, and then spoke. "Excuse me, but would anyone be interested in something we can do to Draco?" The Weasleys and Potters stared at her. Ginny Potter had a dangerous glint in her eye. Charlie had been one of her favorite brothers, and anything they could do to Draco was just fine with her. Rose's eyes were blank as she followed the paths in her Sight. "Draco Malfoy will try to make up to this wizard, just as he did with Voldemort. If Lisa is with us, the price of his joining the Patient Child will be turning her. But, Lisa is the Mental Wizard." Rose looked around at dawning comprehension. 

Albus Dumbledore put it into words. "Mental wizard, even over Kin, no coin this Honor can buy." 

Rose nodded, still in the paths. "The Patient Child will not be happy with Draco's failure." She came out of the future paths and looked at the adults. "Before this war ends, the Malfoy name will end forever." None of the adults looked upset at that idea, and Ginny in particular was smiling, although anyone she turned that smile on would not have been happy. 

Robert spoke. "That will also give us one more advantage when the war starts. We know that Draco will be in contact with the Patient Child, and if we can follow him, we can find the enemy's location." 

James was frowning as he thought it through. "Not that it matters anyway. We need her, and I for one will not judge anyone by the actions of their parents before they were even born." His last sentence was rather pointed, and the adults looked at him. He stared back, refusing to flinch under the stares of most of the room. 

Robert winced. "As much as I hate to admit it in his hearing, James is right. If we judge this girl on her family, not her actions we are no better than the pureblood bigots." 

Harry agreed. "We'll have to warn the other members of the Eight though. Ginny and I will talk to Tiffany." The others agreed with varying degrees of reluctance, and talk moved on to building a support network for the next few years. Dumbledore repeated his warning about letting the MOM and Fudge know about any of this.

The meeting broke up a short time later, and on the way back to Hogsmeade, the Potters invited the Evans to stay with them while they were in England, but Robert turned them down, saying they had reservations and he had some work to do anyway. At the Three Broomsticks, the Evans used the Floo Network to travel to the Leaky Caldron where they would be staying while they were in England. 

The next two days were pure fun, as the Evans played tourist, going to both worlds, and allowing the prophecy to move on without them. This routine was interrupted on the third day when Dustin Clearwater showed up. He had been watching the Malfoy estate, and Lisa Malfoy was in Diagon Alley right now. One of the problems they had been facing was talking to Lisa without her father knowing before they wanted him to. James and Rose went to talk to her, as two children would be less conspicuous than an adult.

They found Lisa Malfoy in a bookstore, and James stayed up front while Rose went to talk to her. As Rose went to talk to Lisa, James noticed the man behind the counter giving them both an odd look, as if he half recognized them, but was not sure why. Rose took a deep breath and stepped up next to Lisa. Before she could say anything, Lisa spoke. "Yes, I am a Malfoy, no, I don't know what my Father was thinking, and it's none of your business anyway." Her voice was sharp, and tinged with an acid bitterness. 

Rose smiled gently. "Actually, I want to talk to you about something that has nothing to do with your family, only who you are." 

Lisa had turned to examine her as soon as the accent had placed Rose as an American. "An American, from somewhere near the middle of the country. Athletic build, with calluses from hard work or martial arts training. The robes are well made, and expensive. You are either the youngest Auror I've ever seen, or something outside my experience entirely." 

 Rose was impressed with the accuracy of her observations. "Do you do that often? Show off how smart you are?" 

"Too often for my parents, not often enough for me." Lisa examined her again. "What do you want anyway?" 

Rose handed her a copy of the prophecy and began talking. The two talked for nearly an hour and at the end, Lisa would not commit, but did say she'd think about it. Rose was somber as she made one last comment. "You know there will be those that will not be happy about you being involved." 

Lisa looked at her. "So? No one can cause me half the pain my father has already done." For one brief instant, 11 years of anger and bitterness showed before Lisa closed herself off again. As Lisa headed for the fireplace and her home, she looked back at Rose, and suddenly grinned impishly. "I do envy you that link with your twin though. It must be nice to have one person that you can always count on, no matter what." She Flooed away before Rose could ask her how she knew about the link or James, who had stayed away during their talk. 

As Rose thought about that last comment, she had a sudden flash. She smiled softly. "I don't know how yet, but one day Lisa, you'll know what it's like too."

James and Rose spent a few minutes in the bookstore after Lisa left, looking through the books. Rose found one and they snickered as they set it aside to buy. Finding a box of books marked down they went through them looking for older books, as Uncle Alexander was always looking for old books that might be rare, or just out of print. At the bottom of the box, they found a book and they stared at it, and each other before lifting it out. "_James, that's the family code on the spine." _

_"I know. I am curious as to what an Evans clan book is doing here." _They opened the book, and read the first page. When they were done, they stared at each other for a long minute, and took that book and the others they had found up to the counter. The middle aged wizard behind the counter packaged the books for carrying, not saying anything until he reached the book they had gotten such a shock from. 

 He looked at them. "Your names are James and Rose, and you're from America." His comment was not a question, but a statement. 

They both blinked. "How did you know that?" 

He reached under the counter and pulled out an account book. Turning to the front of the book, he spoke in a conversational tone that had a hint of fear under it. "My Father bought that book 73 years ago, under some very odd circumstances. According to this, a couple came in one day, and sold him the book for a single Knut. They told him, and here I quote, 'Many years from now, a pair of twin children will come in the store. You will know them easily, for they do not talk to each other, but laugh and act as if they do, and they will be Americans.  Their names will be James and Rose. Tell them the story of how you got this book, and they will give you 50 galleons for the book, if you tell them our names.'" The bookseller looked up at the twins. "Cassandra and Elric Evans sold us this book." The twins stared at each other, and then at the book.  James was the first to speak.

"_Rose, I believe him, even if Elric and Cassandra have been dead for over 800 years. The story is too weird to be made up."  _

_"I agree, and that means we're paying an outrageous sum for a book, and then we're going back to the Inn. I've had enough of the Alley for today." _

_"Sister mine, I couldn't agree more." _They paid for the books, and headed back to the Inn. 

Mary and Robert came back from their wandering to find the twins lying head to head on the common room floor, reading a book. They had never known if one twin was reading to the other, or if both of them were reading the book when they did that. They watched their children for a minute, and Robert smiled down at Mary. "It appears that they look comfortable enough until dinner" He said, with a certain tone that Mary knew very well. 

She looked sideways at him. "Why Mr. Evans, do you have some thing you want to do?" Robert leaned down and whispered something in her ear that made her blush and smile. Hand in hand, they headed up the stairs to their room. As they disappeared up the stairs, two heads turned to watch them. 

"_I wonder why they never had any more children." _commented Rose.

_"I'm not sure Rose. I think it has to do with that thing Dad showed us." _

_"Please, I've been trying to forget that." _Rose shivered as she remembered the vault under their house.

_"Sister mine, do you really think you can?" _James was dubious.

_"I can try." _Rose was willing to try at least, because the thing in the vault gave her bad dreams sometimes.

_"Good luck, and if you do figure out how to forget it, let me know."_

The rest of the week passed in shopping, as the twins got the books and supplies they would need at Hogwarts. They passed a fun afternoon with Emma Weasley and Hangeld, and one with Lisa Malfoy as well. Once Lisa dropped the bitter attitude, she turned out to have a wicked sense of humour and a keen sense of the absurd. They missed Tiffany Potter and Daniel Creevy because the Evans were setting up the Jade Lily Holding Co. Robert had merely grinned when the twins had told him they needed his help setting up a company in this country. The day finally arrived, and the twins packed for Hogwarts. Arriving at the train station, they passed through gate 9 ¾ to the Hogwarts Express. Taking their trunks onboard, they went looking for the other members of the Eight. Emma Weasley and Hangeld were in the second car they came to, and James and Rose joined them. They talked quietly for a while, just getting to know each other.

The train pulled out of the station, and the friends watched London recede. A few minutes later, Daniel Creevey and Lisa Malfoy joined them. Lisa had a tight look around her eyes, and Daniel was fuming. "What happened?" asked James. 

Lisa smiled thinly. "Let's just say that a couple of students had opinions about my family." James looked at her, and his eyes were flat and cold. Deep inside them was a fire that only Rose had seen before. 

"Would you know the names of these students?" he asked in a deceptively calm voice. 

 Lisa cocked her head and looked at him carefully. "I might, but somehow, I don't think telling you right now would be the smartest thing to do." 

 James nodded. "OK, no problem, I'm sure they will point themselves out soon enough."

As the six young people chatted, and the fire slowly died in James's eyes, the door opened again, and a slender sable haired girl came in. They looked at her, and Rose knew her right away. "Hello Melissa." Melissa Xavier looked at the people her parents had been telling her about, matching faces and descriptions. 

The two black haired children with the green eyes had to be the Evans twins, and the red hair on the other girl marked her as one of the extensive Weasley clan. The nearly two meter tall boy had to be the son of the famous Ruben Hagrid, and the short stocky boy that blended into the background so well was a Creevey. 

She knew what they were seeing, a tall slender girl with long black hair and eyes to match. She sat down, and the introductions started over again. The trip to Hogwarts was uneventful, and they dismounted the train at the station. Hangeld started looking for his Father, who was gathering the first years for the tradition trip across the lake.

As they entered the boats, one of the other first years pushed Lisa into the water. As the friends started towards him, Hagrid reached out a long arm and picked the student up by the back of his shirt. "I saw that Boyo, and I think the Professors might have something to say about it, especially your Househead. I do believe you're the first student to ever lose points before you've even been sorted." 

Lisa stared at the student that had pushed her, as James muttered something in her ear. She turned and looked at him, and an evil grin passed over her face, a grin that matched the ones on James and Rose's faces. In the boats, Lisa pointedly stayed far away from the student, and as they watched Hogwarts come into view, nobody noticed James sticking a disk to the student's robes.

Waiting in the hallway before the doors to the Dining Hall, James and Rose looked around. "_Rose, where's Tiffany? I haven't seen her." _

_"Relax James, she's here somewhere, she'll be sorted with the rest us_." James nodded. 

He grinned suddenly. "_Sister mine, can you see the sorting yet?" _

_"Yes, why?" _asked Rose suspiciously_._

_"I was thinking of placing a few bets…"  _James suggested hopefully.

_"Forget it James, the Sight is not for you to swindle your year mates with."  _Rose was not 

James shrugged. "Just a thought." 

The students standing nearby looked at him, puzzled, but before anyone could say anything, Professor McGonagall and a short red haired girl appeared. "My name is Professor McGonagall and in a few minutes you will follow me through the doors to be sorted into your houses. When your name is called, Step up to front of the hall and sit on the stool you will find there." She looked over the new students, picking out the ones that they thought were involved in the prophecy, standing in a group. The only one missing had been Tiffany Potter, and she had been at Hogwarts all day, as Harry and Ginny Potter were consulting with Dumbledore. Harry Potter was replacing Professor Hooch as the Flying Professor, and Quidditch Instructor. Virginia Potter was going to be working in the Medwing with Madame Pomfrey, who was retiring next year. As a fully qualified Mediwizard, Ginny was going to take her place. "Everybody follow me now" Professor McGonagall led the first years into the Dining Hall.

In the Hall the sorting began after the Sorting Hat sang its song for the year, and the friends were watching carefully, waiting to see where they would go. While they waited, James nudged them. "Watch that jerk, the one that pushed Lisa." 

"Crabbe, Martin" had been called, and as he walked up the aisle he suddenly tripped over nothing, sending a wave of laughter through the crowd. Crabbe got back up and continued to the Hat with his face a bright red. 

"**Slytherin!**" called the Hat, and Crabbe was done with the Hat, although the laughter was not done, as he fell again on the way to the Slytherin table.

James was grinning as the embarrassed Slytherin sat down, and it was only when he turned to Rose that he noticed her frown. "_Rose, what's wrong?" _asked James, feeling her confusion.

_"James, did you see that first Gryffindor? Adam Brooks?" _

_"What about him?" _

_"He's the last face in my dream. He and Daniel look similar, but he's the one." _

James looked over at the Gryffindor table, but older students hid Adam. "_Are you sure? Dumbledore said Daniel was the last one." _

_"He said, he thought he was. Apparently, Dumbledore was wrong, or my dream is." _

_"I don't believe the dream is, but we'll see how many of them get in Gryffindor."_

Even as they finished their conversation, Creevey, Daniel was called, and he barely placed the Hat on his head when it shouted "**Gryffindor!**" He smiled broadly as he walked to an empty seat. 

After "Fudge, Cary" was sorted into Hufflepuff, "Evans, James" was called. James walked up to the Hat and placed it on his head. A few seconds later, he was a Gryffindor. Evans, Rose was next and she was under the Hat long enough to start a murmuring in the hall. After nearly three minutes, Rose was sorted into Gryffindor. James visibly relaxed. The rest of the sorting went as they had expected, although the sounds and murmurs when Lisa was sorted into Gryffindor had James marking a number of faces for future pranks. 

 "Xavier Melissa" was the last name called, and as she sat down next to Emma and Adam Brooks James grinned. "_We got them all Rose_."

Dumbledore stood up after the sorting and spoke briefly. "Welcome back to our returning students, and welcome to Hogwarts for the new ones. I have several things to say. First, the Forbidden Forest is just that, Forbidden. Second, Mr. Filch has added several new items to the list of banned items. The entire list may be found posted outside his office.  I also wish to announce two new Professors for this year. Professor Potter will be taking over the Quidditch instructor and Flying classes, and Madame Potter will be working with Madame Pomfrey who is retiring next year. This year, due to circumstances from outside the school, both the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor house teams will need entire teams. In order to give them a chance to play, any first year student that has a broomstick already will be allowed to try out for the teams. I have a list of students that have broomsticks, and only those students will be allowed to try out." Dumbledore swept the Hall with his eyes. 

"Many students have passed through these halls in the history of Hogwarts. Some have gone on to do great things, both for good, and for evil. However, while the students are here, they will not be treated differently than any other. To enforce this, I have instructed all teachers to take 100 house points from any student caught judging another student in a biased or prejudicial way. And with that said, we shall eat." The feast appeared, and the hungry students dug in, although the ones around Hangeld had to eat fast. Hangeld had an appetite to match his size, and entire dishes were disappearing in his vicinity. 

When everyone was full, and even Hangeld was looking less like a ravening dragon, Dumbledore instructed the Prefects to take the first years to their houses. As they headed up the stairs, James and Rose closed around Lisa, making sure none of the other students pulled anything on her. At the Fat Lady's portrait, Prefect Moore gave the password (House cup) and led them all into the common room. In the common room, the eight new students gathered in a group to listen to Prefect Moore. He had just begun talking about the house cup when James and Tiffany met for the first time, and looked at each other.

Two sets of green eyes met and locked. Something passed between them, and Rose felt it dimly. It was as if everything that made each of them what they were, who they were jumped from them to the other person in the blinking of an eye. The rush of emotions, feelings, thoughts and sensations overwhelmed them, and they slumped, unconscious before they hit the floor. 

_A/N:  Well isn't this a fine kettle of fish.  It would appear that Miss Potter is following her Father's example, and will be visiting the hospital wing early on.  Soulbonding is the rarest bond two people can have in the wizard world of Prophecy, and one of the most hazardous.  James and Tiffany are the 20th Soulbonded pair in history.  Seven couples couldn't handle the dual input, and went insane.  Six couples went berserk, and killed each other, and of the six couples that made it into full bonding, none of them lived more than 15 years after the bonding.  The Soulbond ages people at a three to one ratio. For every year that passes, they will age three years.  Therefore, if James and Tiffany make it to full bonding, by the 1st of September next year, they will be physically 14, and mentally only 12._

_Once again, I ask, nay plead, beg even for reviews.  Good, bad, indifferent.  Any review tells me that what I wrote affected you enough to take two minutes out of your time to tell me what you think, and that is my purpose in posting this story.  So, please review.  I solemnly swear not to turn you into a giant worm.  (I know you understand that, because by now you have read Mary's story, Mercy's story, Interlude chapter one and two, Twins vs. Twins, Letters and Elric's story.  Now, you should add Sorting and Calculated Risk, if you haven't already read those two.)_


	5. Revelations

_A/N: Short chapter, but fairly important. We will find out a lot about the Soulbond, as well as the future gifts of the Eight.  For those of you that think the Eight have too many gifts, wait.  You haven't seen the enemy yet. _

_Again, all those disclaimer thingies apply: If you recognize it, it's not mine, I'm not making any money off of it, and since I'm a freshman in college with a part time job, there is no point in suing me anyway. _

**_Revelations_**

The common froze as the two students fell, and then a babble rose as everyone tried to crowd around. Rose was leaning on a table, eyes closed. Her link with James was pushing a lot of what he was experiencing at her, and she was trying to block it out, but she had never tried to block James before, and she wasn't sure where to start. Emma noticed her distress and came to her. "Rose are you alright?" 

"Not really. James and Tiffany just Soulbonded I think, and the twin link is pushing his thoughts at me."

Melissa Xavier was pushing through the crowd. When she reached James and Tiffany, she cast the "_Perlego anima viscus**"**_ spell that told her his vitals, and then cast it again on Tiffany. "Somebody get Madame Pomfrey, and some of you help me start them to the Medwing." Melissa was issuing orders with the unthinking assurance of the Healer. When a sixth year prefect tried to say something, she rounded on him, eyes blazing. "Do you know anything about healing? Or any medical spells? Do you know what happened here? No? Then get out of my way." 

 Prefect Moore pulled the other prefect away. "She seems to have this under control, go get Madame Pomfrey." The prefect disappeared through the door of the common room. 

Melissa cast the "_Corporis Tabula" _spell, and the unconscious students were lifted into the air, and hovered there. "You, take James, and you take Tiffany. Do not bump into anything with them." That last comment was reinforced with a glare that would have done credit to an angry Griffon. Emma was already helping a disoriented Rose out the door, and Melissa and the two students she had chosen to guide the pair followed. Close behind them were the rest of the first year students from Gryffindor, including Adam Brooks.

In the Medwing, Madame Pomfrey and Ginny Potter met them, and the two were soon in bed.  Melissa gave Madame Pomfrey a rundown on their condition so far, and released the vital signs spell to her. Albus Dumbledore was there, having been alerted by Madame Pomfrey as soon as she knew they had patients. 

He looked at a visibly worried Ginny, and pulled Melissa over to the side. "The Xaviers have been Mediwizards and Healers for almost a thousand years, would your family have any ideas about helping them with the Soulbond?" 

"Sir, there is nothing anyone can do now. They have to come to terms with the dual input first. Where before they saw things as we do, now they will see through two sets of eyes, and the same with all their senses. Everything they experience will be doubled, and they have to accept that or they'll go insane." Melissa was speaking in a detached tone, trying not to think that the people she was talking about were people she knew and liked. 

She continued. "After they accept that, and I think they might, simply because of that strange bond James has with Rose, they will have to accept the harder part. That somebody else knows everything about them, every evil thought, every time they did anything that they never wanted anyone to know. If they get through that, they will settle down into the Soulbond. Then they have to learn to live with the fact that they will age three years for every year that passes. Something about the Soulbond causes accelerated aging." 

Dumbledore nodded, thinking about what she had said. "Two questions. First, how do you know all of this?" 

"Sir, you might know that Debra Xavier was the Mediwizard that treated Elric Evans after Cassandra died. Since then the Xaviers have tracked down everything known about Soulbonds, and when the prophecy fell to me, I studied the Soulbond materials." Melissa looked at him.  "We have our own copy of the Prophecy."

Dumbledore smiled faintly. "I think I will have you talk to Madame Pomfrey before you go, so she knows what to expect. Second, what do you mean strange bond? I was under the impression that what James and Rose had was merely a strong twin bond." 

Melissa snorted. "Horseflies. I'm not sure what they did, but that is not merely a twin bond. There has never been a twin bond strong enough to carry on conversations like they do, and when you look at their auras, you can see where they did something, although I haven't figured out what yet." Dumbledore considered that carefully.

Madame Pomfrey came over to talk to Dumbledore. "Headmaster, the Soulbonded are resting, but they are just starting their bonding, and it is much too early to tell you anything about it, so could you please get the rest of these students out of the wing?" Albus Dumbledore looked around. Counting the three in beds, there were nine first year Gryffindors and the two older students that Melissa had drafted to help. Dumbledore sent everyone but Melissa off to the House, and introduced Melissa to Madame Pomfrey. 

He left the two of them discussing the Soulbond and what they could expect out of it. He went back to his office and cast a spell available to the Headmaster. The spell allowed him to look at the aura of any person in Hogwarts, and he used it now to look at the new Gryffindors.

Dumbledore came away from his aura readings a troubled man. In the thousand-year history of Hogwarts, almost every variant of aura had come through the school, and all of them were recorded in a Magicrystal that each Headmaster passed to his or her replacement. His reading of the nine had been shocking. That all of them would be strong wizards he had expected, but the raw power in Adam Brooks had dwarfed anything he'd ever seen. Not even Harry Potter had had that much raw power. He came to a quick decision and sent a house elf for Professor McGonagall. 

When she arrived in her bathrobe, the Gryffindor Househead was not happy. "This had better be important Albus." She said acidly. "I do believe it's three o'clock in the morning." 

"My dear Minerva, I believe you're right, but I have a few things to tell you, and I thought since I was going to have a sleepless night, I would share it" 

McGonagall sighed. "This is about the Eight, isn't it?" 

"No, about the nine new students in Gryffindor. Adam Brooks has more power than anybody I've ever seen, including myself and Harry." 

McGonagall stared at him. "You're not serious? The Muggle born boy?" 

"Oh yes. Also, James and Rose have somehow transformed their twin bond into something far more, Emma Weasley is a budding Warlock, and Hangeld has magic from both sides of his family." 

The Professor stared at him. "A Warlock? Are you certain? There has not been a warlock in nearly 900 years." 

Albus called up Emma's aura, and showed it to her, along side the aura of the last Warlock. "See, right here and here, where they match perfectly? Then, here, here and here they match again. Emma Weasley will be a Warlock when she hits puberty." 

Professor McGonagall thought about what this would mean for Emma's training. She thought about Warlocks. Warlocks were the single rarest talent any wizard could have. Something inside a Warlock replaced the need for a focus tool, allowing the Warlock to cast any spell without the wand a wizard needed for any but the most basic spell. 

She looked at Albus. "Hangeld has magic from both sides of his family you say. I can safely assume you mean he has the giant magic also?" 

"Correct Professor. Hangeld carries the Elemental magic of his giant ancestors. We'll have to find him a teacher." Giant magic was strictly elemental in nature, and each giant mage used one type of element. Fire, Water, Air or Earth though, a wizard could not teach it, because the magic was vastly different. 

"Do you have any other good news for me?" Professor McGonagall waxed sarcastic.

If Dumbledore noticed the sarcasm, he ignored it. "As a matter of fact, I do. All nine have Animage potential, Melissa is a Healer and Empath, Rose has the Sight, and a Soulbonded couple has always developed unusual abilities. Lisa Malfoy is the most normal wizard in the bunch magically, but her mental gifts more than make up for that. To top it all off, Tiffany Potter something in her aura that is not in the aura crystal here. She has something I can't identify." 

Professor McGonagall stared at him again, and then dropped her head into her hands. "Albus, can I take a leave of absence?" 

 "Minerva, look at the interesting time we're going to have. As each of them begin puberty, and their gifts manifest, it's going to be very interesting around here." 

She looked at him sourly, and then sobered. "Albus, why do they need all this? Who or what is the enemy, that they need this much power?" 

 Dumbledore sobered as quickly as the Gryffindor House head had. "I've been asking myself that for nearly three months now. I still have not found an answer."

_A/N:  Wheee… life is going to be interesting when all this starts.  For those of you that think I'm having a bit too much fun with this, wait until the war starts, and you meet all of the enemy.  Right now, I give them no better than a 40% chance of winning.  What's that?  No actually, I don't know who's going to win the war yet, I haven't written the end of the story yet, and my original outline was destroyed before I finished Interlude.  You see, I feel Sorry for Alex, and so I'm now trying to keep Alex alive and sane at the end, while destroying Jezebel and the others.  (I know you understand the problem there, or you need to go over Interlude again.) _

_Once more into the begging and pleading thingie.  (Begbegbegbegbeg)  Have I done enough begging for this chapter?  Good.  Now, just click the little button in the bottom of your screen that says 'Go!' and is next to the menu box with the words 'submit review'.  Trust me it doesn't hurt, and if you review my story, I'll review yours, if you have any._


	6. Retribution

_A/N:  Things are going to start happening here soon, and we're going to find out some things we'd rather not know in the next few chapters, and you all need to keep an eye out for a dark haired stranger who will be very important._

_Disclaimers again, I don't know what order you're reading all this in, although I'm hoping you're listening to my suggestions, but this is my 13th disclaimer.  I am running out of different ways to say the only thing I own here is the plot.  Well, and most of the spells you've seen so far.  In fact, the Mediwizard spells you've seen so far were created out of a Latin/English dictionary.  If I used the wrong tense, or word, I apologize to everyone that speaks Latin.  I do not, and simply pulled the word out that was closest to the effect I wanted from the spell.  Anybody may freely use any spell or person of mine, with only one restriction.  James Evans and Tiffany Potter are Soulbonded.  Only death can change that.  (I think.  It's possible I guess that they remain linked after death.  Nobody has returned from death to tell us what goes on past that door.)  Anyway, use what you want, if you want… after all, I am using JKR's world and people, and it would be rude of me to tell others they couldn't use my people.  Please though, if you do use something I created, let me know, so I can read your story._

****

**_Teammates_**

  
  
The next morning when the first years went to breakfast, they found Rose already there.  In response to the deluge of questions, she told them that the Soulbond had passed to deep to affect the twin link she had with James.  She could still feel his distress, but it was not the overwhelming cascade of sensations it had been the day before.  They chatted through breakfast, looking at their schedules.  The first class of the day was Transfigurations with Hufflepuff.  After that, they had Defense against the Dark Arts with Slytherin.  Lisa was looking through her bag, and had to run back up to the room for some parchment.  The friends kept talking for a while longer, until Adam looked around.  "Isn't it taking Lisa a long time to return?"  The group looked at each other, and they all got up to go look for her.  
  
On the second floor, they heard someone laughing.  It was not a fun laugh, but more the laugh of somebody humiliating somebody else.  They looked at each other, and headed for the sound.  Whomever it was heard them coming and ran.  Just around the corner of the hall, they found Lisa immobilized by a spell, and hung in a picture frame, with a hastily scrawled note tacked up over her head.  "Traitor's blood" was the entire note.  The group quickly got her down and cast the "_Finite_ _Incantatem_" spell that released Lisa from the "_Petrificus Totalus_" spell.  
  
The next few minutes were an education of a new sort for most of the group as Lisa vented her anger and embarrassment by describing the habits, ancestry, probable destinations, and life expectancy of the first year Slytherins that had done this to her.  Some of the things she alluded to did not sound possible even with magic.  After she turned the air blue for a bit, and making a few of the people in the portraits run away with their hands over their ears, she stopped.  Taking a deep breath, she looked at the silent group.  "I believe we have Transfigurations.  We should be going it would not be good to be late to the first class with our House head."  Lisa started walking, and the others followed her.  

As Lisa talked about the class, Emma watched her.  "Lisa, are you alright?" 

Lisa looked at her.  "No, I am going to get some revenge for that.  I am going to make them sweat until I know exactly what I'm going to do.  The first part of that is pretending nothing happened until I decide exactly what form my retribution will take."  
  
The group reached the classroom with a few minutes to spare, and Professor McGonagall was nowhere to be seen, so they talked quietly about James and Tiffany. 

"It appears that some people need to take History of Magic very badly.  That way, they will know who can be trusted."  Emma Weasley stood up, and faced the speaker, a tall angry looking Hufflepuff.  

"Would you care to explain that?"  challenged Emma. 

The boy sneered at her.  "You of all people should know what that one's family did, or do you have so many brothers that losing a couple doesn't matter?"  

Emma glared at him, and then started laughing at him.  "What has the actions of her family before she was even born have to do with Lisa today?" 

The Hufflepuff looked at Lisa as he replied to Emma.  "Everyone knows the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." 

Emma gave a short barking laugh, more of disgust than humour.  "Your apple must be rotten.  Lisa is a Gryffindor, which says she's different than the rest of her family off the top, and I worry more about someone that is so close-minded as to insult people that he hasn't even met.  Proof that if the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, your tree has no branches."  
  
As Emma finished speaking, the lamp standing next to the Professor's desk suddenly shimmered and turned into Professor McGonagall.  "You are not going to be a popular young man.  The Headmaster told you what would happen to anyone making prejudicial remarks.  One hundred points from Hufflepuff.  Miss Weasley, I am considering taking those points from Gryffindor for the comment about his family tree not having any branches."

 "Professor, I did not prejudge him.  My comment was based on quick observation, and his own words.  I do admit to insulting him."  Emma was quick to protest.

"Ten points then Miss Weasley."  Professor McGonagall began the class as they returned to their seats.  When the first year Gryffindors reached the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom, the Slytherin students were already there.  The classroom had been cleared, with only a few chairs along each of the longer walls.  The Slytherins had taken the chairs on one side, and the Gryffindors took the others.  

"Why Lisa" came a falsely sweet voice, "aren't you just as pretty as a picture" Laughter came from the Slytherins.  
  
Lisa colored, and then turned to Martin Crabbe, who had spoken.  "Very amusing Marty, but it would appear that the Slytherin intellect has fallen badly this year, or you would realize I hold your house in my hand." 

Martin Crabbe stared suspiciously at Lisa.  "What do you mean?"  The Slytherins were watching her with their dislike clear in their faces. 

Lisa smiled at them.  "The Headmaster said last night that anyone pulling a stunt like you did this morning would lose 100 house points.  Now, I can identify nine of you involved this morning, by name, face or voice.  Using Dumbledore's "_Pensive_" spell I can prove it.  Now, I ask you, what will the older students do to you after they lose 900 points in one day?"  
  
The Slytherins paled as they absorbed her meaning.  Martin turned red and spoke through gritted teeth.  "Fine.  What will it take to keep you quiet?" 

Lisa smirked.  "I'll let you know.  Now, run along and play, I have more important things to do."  She turned back towards the Gryffindors, whom were all grinning broadly at the Slytherin group.  "By the way Marty, I do suggest that you refrain from annoying me anymore, or I might just decide that watching your house mangle you every day this year would be more fun than anything you can give me."  Martin turned back to his group and they began talking quietly, shooting nasty looks back at Lisa as they discussed their problem.  
  
Adam Brooks was looking at a short, dark haired Slytherin sitting well away from the rest of the students.  She had her head buried in a book and was carefully ignoring everything going on around her.  Adam stared at her, and then nudged Emma.  "I don't remember her at the Sorting, where did she come from?" 

Emma looked where he was pointing and frowned.  "I don't know, I've never seen her before."  None of the Gryffindors had, and with the Slytherins studiously avoiding them, there was no way to ask them.  The Dark Arts Instructor walked into the classroom.  Since the end of the Voldemort war, Professor Allan Moody, Son of "Mad-Eye" Moody had been the Defense against the Darks Arts instructor. 

 "Good morning class.  I am Professor Moody."  He looked at the two groups of students, his eyes pausing on the quiet girl in the corner, and then continuing.  "I see the house rivalries are still firmly in place, so today we'll start with the "_Expelliarmus_" spell.  

Professor Moody gave a quick class on the disarming spell and then paired Lisa with a Slytherin girl for the first practical exercise.  "A word of warning students, my father taught me an interesting spell for students that try a spell we're not working on.  I have not had a chance to use it yet, but I am interested in seeing its effects, so feel free to try."  Lisa and the Slytherin girl stood in the center of the room, and Professor Moody counted to three.  
  
At three, Lisa pulled her wand from the sleeve of her robes and pointed it, even as she spoke.  "_Expelliarmus!"_  

Her hapless opponent had not even gotten her wand aimed when the spell hit, and her wand was sent flying.  "Nicely done Miss Malfoy."  The two girls sat down, and the practical portion of the class continued until Adam Brooks and Martin Crabbe were up.  Adam stood there waiting as Professor Moody had a few words with the last two students.  Martin sneered at him.  

In a low voice, he mocked Adam.  "You're going to get it Mudblood, I've been using a wand for years."  Adam merely smiled thinly and held his peace.  When Professor Moody counted down for them, Adam blurred into motion.  Flipping the robes away from the right side of his body, his left hand reached for the wand at his waist, slung there with the butt handle up.  
  
Half a second later, Crabbe's wand was flying one way, and the power of Adam's spell had Martin flying the other.  Adam looked at the dazed boy and raised the tip of his wand in front of his face.  He blew across the tip of it and grinned at the quiet class.  "I always knew a fondness for Louis L'amour books would come in handy some day." 

Rose and the quiet girl were the only ones that caught the Muggle reference.  Professor Moody helped Martin to his feet and grinned at Adam.  "Excellent job Mr. Brooks, ten points for Gryffindor."  He came closer.  "Would you mind showing me that again, but a little slower?"  Adam demonstrated his wandslinger technique, and Professor Moody grinned.  "Very novel and very effective apparently."  
  
At lunch, Melissa asked Rose how James and Tiffany were.  Rose opened her link to James carefully but shut it quickly.  She considered what she had caught in that glimpse.  "They're still struggling with the link."  The meal passed quickly, and they went to their next class, which was Care and Use of Broomsticks.  They had the class with Ravenclaw and the start of class found them standing around waiting on Professor Potter.  The school brooms were there, but Harry was nowhere to be seen.  They were starting to fidget, when a spot in the sky came down, and turned into Harry on his broom.  He grinned at the class. 

"Good Afternoon.  Sorry about that, I was flying after eating and didn't realize how late it was."  He started them on their lessons, and the class went well for most, although Adam was not as good as the wizards that had been flying for years.  
  
At the end of the class, Harry told them that since they were going to be allowed to try out, any student that wanted to try out for the House teams had to get his approval.  "From what I see, most of you will get it, except for you Mr. Brooks.  I'm sorry, but you're just a bit too inexperienced for Quidditch this year." 

Adam grinned at him.  "I'm not sorry.  I'll watch it, but I'm not much for playing." 

Harry nodded, and grinned at an old memory.  "It's not everyone's cup of tea.  Hermoine still doesn't like it much, and Ron's played for the Cannons for 6 years."  
  
With classes over for the day, the group trooped into the common room to work on homework.  Rose excused herself, and went to the Mediwing to check on her brother.  When she came back, her face was tight.  "They have passed into the frenzy."  was her only comment before going upstairs to her room. 

The others looked at a suddenly tense Melissa for an explanation.  "The frenzy is the part of the Bonding where so many couples learn everything about each other, and a lot of them have gone berserk during it.  If they don't come to terms with the Bond here, they will try to kill each other.  Even if we could stop them, the Bond is already too deep.  They can no longer live without the other person."  
  
Dawn found the first year Gryffindors waiting in the common room.  They had started coming downstairs nearly an hour earlier, and the silence was testament to their worry about their friends.  "We need something to take our minds off of our friends."  Lisa said quietly.  "Sitting around here doing nothing will not help them, or us." 

Rose looked at her.  "What do you suggest?  I really can't concentrate on the schoolwork."

 Lisa smiled thinly.  "How about something James would like?  I could use a little assistance with my retribution on the Slytherins."  Lisa's face was red as she remembered being hung on a wall. 

"What have you got in mind?" asked Adam.  The rest of the group turned to him.  
  
Adam was the only one of the first year students that did not know about the Prophecy, although Rose had realized at the sorting ceremony that Adam and not Daniel was the last of the Eight.  Her problem was, she didn't know how to break that to Daniel.  She suspected Daniel might be slightly peeved to find out he was not the one foretold, especially after they had told him he was.  She was hoping James came out of his illness before she had to tell Daniel, so she could talk to him about it.  
  
Lisa looked at Rose, and raised an eyebrow.  Rose looked around to find everyone looking at her.  "Why are you all looking at me?" 

Melissa shrugged.  "Until we find somebody better, James leads this."  she looked at Adam, searching for a word.  "Project of ours.  He's not here, so it falls on you, because you know what he's do better than anyone."  

Rose groaned.  "Thanks."  She looked at Adam, and grinned.  The group had just handed her the perfect opening.  
  
"It would be a pain to try to hide what we're doing from Adam for however long this Project takes.  We'll tell him about it also."  Rose began a rundown on the Prophecy, and the events that led to the group sitting there. 

Adam stared at them when she was done.  "You're all barking mad.  Prophecy is as fake as…" 

"As wizards?  Or magic?" asked Emma dryly.  

Adam blinked, and grinned suddenly.  "Right then.  This is a different world."  He considered the story.  "I was wondering why all of you seemed to know each other, even the Americans.  I assumed it was a wizard thing."  
  
"Actually, a lot of us were wondering the same thing."  The voice came from a couch pushed up in the corner, and a head appeared over the edge of it.  Prefect Moore looked at the group, sleep still evident in his eyes.  "Sorry about eavesdropping, but I fell asleep studying, and didn't wake up until you started talking.  The story was quite interesting.  Can you prove any of it?"  Rose looked at him, weighing her options.  James would simply wipe his memory, but something in Rose told her to trust this boy.  

Her coldly pragmatic side also reminded her that having a prefect working with them would simplify a few things.  "The prophecy is a matter of public record.  It is in the books because Elric is the only Soulbonded person to survive the death of their other half for more than a second.  Look it up." 

 Prefect Moore nodded.  "I will.  After I do, I'll be looking for you Rose."  Prefect Moore got up, collected his things and started up the stairs.  He stopped at the foot of the stairs and turned back.  
  
"By the way, I was asked to tell you something Lisa.  You were the focus of quite a bit of talk among the older Gryffindor students.  A lot of them wanted to talk to Dumbledore about removing you, and more wanted to make your life hell, until you left the house.  However, two things spoke for you.  You are different enough from the rest of your family to be in Gryffindor, and the families that should be ready to kill you are your friends."  Prefect Moore smiled as he continued.  "We didn't understand it, but we're going to leave you alone, unless you pull a Slytherin stunt."  He turned and went up the stairs. 

"That helps some although I would have preferred that they just accepted me," commented Lisa.  "at least they won't be running around trying to cause trouble." 

Rose grinned at her, feeling better about the coming days.  "Speaking of trouble, I believe this all started with a comment about troubling the Slytherins?"  The group began planning a bit of revenge for Lisa.  At breakfast, they were still plotting in low voices.  Lisa suddenly grinned, and moved up the table to speak to Prefect Moore.  
  
Prefect Moore was smiling by the time she was done, and stood up to speak to a Slytherin Prefect.  The three of them talked for a few minutes, and everyone saw the Slytherin stiffen at one point, and look at the first year Slytherins.  Lisa spoke to him for a few more minutes, and finally he nodded and walked back over to his table.  The look he shot at the first years had them huddling and whispering.  

"What was that all about?"  Lisa grinned as several people asked the same question at the same time.  

"Well, I told him about the situation, and what I could do.  Then I told him I would not do it, on two conditions.  First, the older students don't help the first years at all, no matter we do, and second they stay away from me."  Lisa smirked.  "Isolating a victim is just good sense."  
  
By dinner that night, they had a working plan.  Rose was working on the prank disks they'd need for this prank, and she had the others making potions for the big day.  Unfortunately this was not taking Rose's mind off her brother.  She kept remembering all the times the two of them had worked out a prank together.  After an hour of making disks, she got up without a word, and disappeared out the common room doorway.  Melissa watched her sympathetically.  Melissa was the only one who knew exactly how much danger James and Tiffany were in, and she had an inkling of what else was bothering Rose, even if Rose hadn't said anything yet.  Rose and James had done something to multiply the effects of the twin bond, and they were closer than any two people Melissa had ever heard of.  Tiffany though, was becoming even closer to James than Rose could ever be, and that had to bothering Rose at some level.  
  
In the Mediwing, Rose sat beside James, and reached for his hand.  She cautiously opened the shields she had put on the link that bound her to James, and tried to reach him again.  Angerfearhateloveaffectionembarrassmentviolation Rose pulled back, breaking the link.  She held her twin's hand, trying to figure out how to help him.  "It's always hard to see someone you love in danger, and not be able to do anything about it." 

Rose didn't turn, staring at her twin.  "Will they pass this Sir?" 

Albus Dumbledore moved up next to her, and looked at the students lying in bed.  "I cannot see the future as you do Miss Evans.  What does the Sight show you?"  
  
Rose sighed.  "Nothing.  Rather, it shows me too much.  This is a pivotal point, and too many paths branch off here." 

Dumbledore looked at her.  "I don't understand what you mean." 

Rose thought about how to explain what the Sight was to her.  "Think of my Sight as a path.  Every decision somebody can make creates two paths, or more, depending on how many options they have to choose from.  Certain events and decisions are more important than most, and there are literally thousands of paths leading from those points.  When that happens, I can't follow any path, because it gets lost too quickly in the maze of what could be." 

Albus Dumbledore thought about that carefully.  "This merging of theirs is such a point then." 

Rose nodded.  "There are so many paths here, I can't follow them.  All I can see is that about half of them lead into a darkness I don't want to look at."  She looked at Dumbledore.  "The prophecy says that if we lose two, we cannot win." 

Dumbledore smiled faintly.  "True, but the prophecy also says that the Eight will rise in our darkest hour, and that has not arrived yet." 

Rose turned serious eyes on Dumbledore.  "I hope you're right."  
  
"Speaking of the prophecy Sir, I have something to tell you.  Daniel is not one of the Eight.  Adam Brooks is." 

Albus looked at her, considering the ramifications of that.  "Are you quite sure?" 

Rose nodded.  "I saw it at the Sorting Ceremony, but I don't know how to tell him." 

"Telling him will be hard.  We might have been wrong to tell the ones we thought were the Eight, without you meeting them first."  Albus frowned as he spoke.  "Let me think about it, and I'll get back to you on the problem."  
  
Dumbledore stayed a few more minutes, and then left, leaving Rose with James and Tiffany until Ginny Potter chased her out.  On the way back to the Gryffindor common room, Peeves dropped a large water balloon on her head.  Rose stared at him.  "You know Peeves, you have been a pain in the neck of every student to walk these halls for much too long." 

Peeves smirked.  "What's the ickle firstie going to do?  Cry to mommy?" 

Rose gave him an evil smile that would have done credit to any dark wizard, and Peeves drifted a little further away.  "No Peeves, I'm going to find a way to prank a ghost.  And when I do, you're going to get it, in front of everybody."  With that comment, a dripping Rose walked back to the common room, and gave the fat lady the password.  (House cup)  
  
In the common room, Rose found the rest of the first years waiting to hear how the two were doing, but her face had all the answers they needed.  They headed off to bed, while Rose sat before the fire.  She was thinking morbid thoughts, and those thoughts were dragging her deeper into a pit of despair and self-pity.  "You know, thoughts like that make it awfully hard for an Empath to sleep." 

Rose stared at Melissa blankly.  "What is an Empath?"

 "Empathy is the ability to feel what others feel.  The stronger the emotion, the better I can feel it.  I can't read minds, just emotions."  
  
Melissa sat down beside Rose.  "Care to talk about it?"

 Rose just looked at her.  "You should be able to figure out what I'm worried about.  My brother is in there suffering, and there is not a thing I can do." 

Melissa watched her for a few minutes, examining Rose's feelings with the empathy that was part of the healing talent.  "That's not all that you're thinking about, and it's not what is scaring you.  Do you want to talk about that?"

 Rose examined her hands.  "I've never been alone you know.  All my life, James has been there in the back of my head, and to be honest, I'm not dealing with this well." 

Melissa frowned at her.  "I thought you could still feel him?" 

"I can, for now.  For how much longer though?  No Soulbonded pair has ever lived more than 15 years because of the burnout.  Therefore, at some point in the next 15 years, I am going to be alone for the first time ever, and I don't think I can handle that.  James is the Alpha of our link, the strong one that decides what we're going to do and when."  

Rose's eyes were wet, and Melissa reached for her.  "Almost everyone is alone in their heads Rose, and they all make it."

"What if that's because they have never been linked?  Everyone that has ever had a link tight enough to send words down has died when the other half of them did."  Rose said.  
  
Melissa blinked.  "You can send words through your twin bond?  I've never even heard of a twin bond that strong." 

Rose avoided the question, and changed the subject.  "Isn't there anything your talent can do for them?"

 Melissa shook her head.  She explained, "The frenzy is not a physical thing, but mental.  From interviews with Soulbonds that make it past this stage, they have already adapted to the dual inputs.  At this point, they are trying to deal with another person having total access to everything they are." 

Rose looked puzzled.  "James has always had me, why is it a problem?"  Melissa looked at her for a minute, until Rose thought about it.  "Tiffany hasn't had this, and isn't taking it well." 

Melissa shrugged.  "I don't imagine James was ready for somebody that knows everything about him either."  Rose frowned, but before she could speak, Melissa continued.  "You and him need to send to each other right?  Like talking, but with your minds, not your voices.  Tiffany has total access to everything thought, emotion, action, everything he's ever done, and even the stuff he would never tell you."  Rose was still disbelieving, and Melissa continued.  "Have you ever thought that James was a git?"  
  
Rose looked at her, raising one eyebrow.  "A what?" 

Melissa frowned, as she tried to remember the American slang.  "A boob, a jerk, you know."  Rose grinned, and then sobered again.  "Boob is old slang, we don't use it anymore, at least not to describe a jerk.  Yeah, maybe, but so what?" 

Melissa asked,  "Even had an urge to do something you know is wrong, or done something wrong, that nobody knows about?" 

Rose had a sudden memory, and blushed darkly. 

Melissa nodded.  "Right now, those two are dealing with having everything, every thought and emotion seen by what amounts to a total stranger." 

Rose thought about the things she had thought or done, that not even James knew about, and considered having a total stranger know all of it.  She shook her head.  "I can see where that might be a bad thing."  Melissa smiled faintly at the understatement.  Rose sighed, and turned her mind to other things, in an attempt to forget the two in the Mediwing.  She asked Melissa to explain the Healing talent to her.  
  
Melissa just smiled.  "Can you explain your link to James to me?"  Rose tried, but it was not easy to explain it.  "It's the same way with the Healing talent.  It's a feeling you get when you touch a hurt person."  The two girls spent an hour trying to explain the link and Healing talent to each other, and when they started yawning, they had only the slimmest idea of what the other girl was trying to describe.  They walked up the stairs to the room they shared with the other first year girls.  As they reached the door, Melissa stopped Rose.  "I noticed how you avoided talking about whatever you and James did to your link, but I would like to know, when you can talk about it." 

Rose just shrugged, and put on her best innocent look.  "I don't know what you mean."  

Melissa stared at her, feeling the difference between what Rose was feeling and the air she was projecting.  Melissa grinned at her.  "That probably works better on people that can't feel your emotions." 

Rose maintained the innocent look and grinned back.  "You can think whatever you like, but unless you can read minds, I still say it's just a strong bond."  Rose opened the door, and went into their room, leaving Melissa thinking hard.  
  
The next three days wore hard on the group.  Between worrying about James and Tiffany, the classes, working on the prank, and Prefect Moore always wanting to know "One more thing", the tension level that week was going steadily up.  Friday morning it all changed.  Melissa was rudely jerked out of sleep, as her Empathy caught a spike of joyrelieflovehappiness from Rose that penetrated her sleep.  Melissa rose up on an elbow, and only saw Rose's robe disappearing out the door.  Melissa could feel her until she went through the portrait and reached the limits of her empathy's range.  Melissa considered the emotions Rose had felt, and her sleep-fogged mind finally figured out that James and Tiffany must have come out of the frenzy.  She woke the other girls, and they dressed in a rush.  Melissa went down to the common room and found a male Gryffindor.  She asked him to get the other first year boys, and tell them that James and Tiffany were awake.  The first year girls waited impatiently for the boys, and the whole group went to the infirmary when they came down from the boy's side.  
  
Ginny Potter and Madame Pomfrey were examining the patients in the infirmary, and Rose was sitting nearby.  The three green-eyed children had far away looks, as they talked through the two links.  James noticed the other first years, and smiled at them.  "Ladies, we have guests, and it's rude to be excluding them."  Ginny and Madame Pomfrey moved away to converse in low tones, and the group crowded around.  James and Tiffany looked the same as they had at the sorting ceremony, but there was a vague difference, not something you could put your finger on.  Rose was looking at her brother.  

Tiffany looked at her.  "He's fine Rose, trust me on that."

Rose blinked.  "How did you know what I was thinking?"

 Tiffany looked at her and smiled wryly.  "I have his every memory, and I know you as well as he does." 

Rose raised one eyebrow as she thought about that.  She was silent for a minute, and then smiled at Tiffany.  "This is not fair you know, you know me, and I don't know anything about you."  
  
The rest of the first years were crowding around, and everyone was trying to talk at once.  James held up a hand.  "Pipe down" He ordered.  

He looked at Adam Brooks, but before he could say anything, Rose spoke to him across the link they shared.  _"Chill out_ _James, he knows everything.  You do remember that I saw he was the Eighth at the sorting ceremony, don't you?"_  

_"Yes, have you figured out how to tell Daniel yet?"_

_"No, I've had other things on my mind."_  Rose sent James a short version of the last four days.  

James considered what she'd sent but Tiffany was the first to speak.  "I love the vengeance prank.  Y'all are going to."  Tiffany trailed off, and shook her head.  She stared flatly at James.  "You've corrupted my English, you bloody Yank.  Y'all is not a word." 

James just smiled at her.  "Oops?" 

Tiffany shook her head.  "Right then.  As I was saying, I love the prank, and you will let us help now that we're awake?" 

Lisa smiled evilly.  "Of course.  After all, we can't allow the Slytherins to be one up on us, can we?"  
  
Madame Pomfrey and Ginny Potter came back to the beds from their talk.  Ginny smiled, her relief at Tiffany waking up bright in her eyes.  "If you lot would allow us to finish examining these two, I think they'll be in the Hall for breakfast." said Madame Pomfrey in a rather pointed way.  The students between her and the two in bed hastily moved out of the way.  Ginny gently shooed the other students out, after Rose hugged James again.  

On the way back to Gryffindor house, Rose kept a running commentary up, as she spoke to James, and passed things along.  "James wants everyone that can to try out for the House Quidditch team.  It will give us all practice in teamwork if we can get enough slots."  She blinked and held a long conversation with James over their link.  By the time she finished, they were back in the common room, and sitting around the fire.  
  
Prefect Moore came down the stairs and sat near them.  He checked that none of the older Gryffindors were close, and asked after the two in the Infirmary.  Rose's eyes were bright as she told him that they would be at breakfast.  Prefect Moore nodded.  "I had hoped they would come out of this soon.  There are a couple of us that would like to talk to all of you about this project of yours."  

Rose felt James's anger over the link as she relayed what he'd said.  _"Rose, ask him who he told."_

Rose did so, and Prefect Moore cocked his head.  "Just the other Prefects in Gryffindor.  I think you might need some people covering for you, and the Prefects are the best people in the house to do so."  

Rose sent that to James.  _"He's right you know.  This thing of ours might lead us into breaking a school rule or two, and having them cover for us would help a lot."_

_"Maybe so, but I would rather he waited until you and Melissa could talk to the people he told.  Your sight and her Empathy would give me a better idea as to their nature, and whether we should trust them." _

_"James, surely you can trust the Gryffindors?" _

_"Sister dear, I'm with Uncle Alexander on this.  We shouldn't trust anyone.  I know we'll have to trust some people sooner or later, but I want to be the one that chooses who."_  
  
Prefect Moore was watching Rose intently, and spoke abruptly.  "You can talk to James, can't you?  Not just emotions, like most twin bonds, but actual words."  

Rose put on the innocent look she and James had perfected when they started pulling pranks on people.  "You're the second person to say something like that, and I still don't know what you mean."  
  
Prefect Moore started to say something else, but Rose cut him off.  "James and Tiffany are heading for the Great Hall, we should go now."  The first year Gryffindors headed for the portrait, followed by Prefect Moore. 

He looked at Rose as they walked down the stairs to the Great Hall.  "I wonder what James would say, if I asked him about your twin bond?"  

Rose grinned at him.  "Well, if you are right, and we talk down the bond, he'll say the same thing I do.  If we don't, how should I know what he'd say?"  
  
In the great hall, the friends were reunited for the first time since the sorting ceremony, and the ones that had known each other for a long time spent a few minutes hugging Tiffany.  Hangeld and Emma engulfed Tiffany, and Rose caught a strange look on James's face as they did so.  "What's the matter James?" 

"I can feel them hugging her, and it's a bit weird to feel people hugging you when nobody is touching you." 

 Rose grinned and spoke.  "I can fix that."  Rose wrapped her arms around James, knowing he could feel her relief at his return and trying to keep her dismay at what would happen to them under the level their link could feel.  James looked at her a bit sadly, and she knew she had not succeeded.  He just smiled though, and flashed her a family hand sign for "Later".  
  
James and Tiffany had taken seats at the end of the Gryffindor table, and the rest of the group slid into seats around them.  There was an open area between them and the rest of the Gryffindors, and James merely lowered his voice a little, as he began speaking to them all.  "I hope you've been studying the materials we gave you all.  Adam, we'll get you the same things as well.  If you're going to be in on this project with us, you should know what we are doing, and that includes the lessons.  Rose, you've been tracking their progress, right?"  
  
Rose was used to James and just grinned at him.  "Brother mine, you're going to scare them away.  They are studying, but can we at least give them a week before you get obsessive with them?" 

James frowned.  "Rose," he began. 

Rose cut him off.  "James, they're working, but we also have schoolwork, and you want us to try out for the Quidditch team, so not everything can be like we had it at the house."  James looked frustrated, but conceded they did have other things to do.  

Emma was staring at the twins as they argued.  "Excuse me," she said, "but are you telling me that his first thought after a week in the infirmary is to give us a test on the stuff you two gave us?"  Rose and James both looked at her.

 Rose rolled her eyes, and answered her question.  "Of course.  I love James to death, but he's a compulsive perfectionist, and he'll drive you completely nuts if he thinks you're not working hard enough." 

James protested mildly, "I am not a perfectionist, I'll let them make one mistake."

 Emma looked at Tiffany.  "He's not really that bad, is he?"  
  
Tiffany looked abstracted for a minute, as she examined James's memories.  While she had all his memories, and he had all of hers, they had to think about them.  Their own memories were just there to use, but using the other person's memories meant think about it.  She finished thinking about the way James was and looked at Emma.  "Yes he is."  
  
James just looked at them all.  "Yes I am that bad.  In just a few years, we will be trying to stay alive, and defend our family and friends against a wizard that makes Voldemort look like a Boggart.  If you're not worried about yourselves, learn the lessons to save them."  He stared at them until they looked away.  
  
After breakfast, they went to their first class where the tall Hufflepuff that had insulted Lisa the first day was waiting for them.  As he started to say something, three sets of green eyes made him stop.  Tiffany joined the twins and they surrounded him.  

_Tiffany_:  "Whatever it is" 

_Rose_:  "that you were about" 

_James:  _"to say to Lisa" 

_Tiffany:  _"you can say" 

_All three:  _"to us." 

He looked at the three of them and found an unnerving sameness to the look in their eyes.  Without another word, he sat down.  James looked at him as if he was a loathsome bug James was planning to step on.  

"I am not from around here."  He said in the flattest American accent he could manage.  "But where I come from, we stand up for our friends.  If you, or anyone else has a problem with Lisa, I'll be more than happy to talk to you about it."  James's tone was cold, and more than one person shivered as he spoke.  He stared at the Hufflepuffs they had Transfigurations with, but none of them said anything.  Finally, he sat down, and began chatting with the other Gryffindors as if nothing had happened.  
  
As they arrived at Defense against the Dark Arts, Lisa laid a hand on James's arm.  "I have the Slytherins in hand James, you don't need to threaten them."

 James looked innocent, and protested.  "I haven't threatened anyone yet.  I merely offered to discuss it with that Hufflepuff."  Lisa rolled her eyes, causing Rose to choke. 

Lisa looked at her, and Rose grinned.  "If you only knew how many times I've had that same expression on my face, when I'm talking to James."

 Lisa just sighed and asked Rose how she dealt with him.  Rose smirked.  "Usually, with a very big stick."  The group continued into the classroom, and found Professor Moody already there.  James had looked around the classroom out of habit when they entered, and had spotted the dark haired girl nobody knew.  

He watched her for a minute, as the rest of the Slytherins came in. "Who's that Rose?" 

"Nobody but the Slytherins knows, and they won't say a word about her.  All we know is that she's a first year, she wasn't at the sorting ceremony, and Melissa says she's hurting badly." 

"Have you tried talking to her?" 

"James, nobody can find her, except during classes, and then she stays away from everyone."  Just then, Professor Moody started class, and the subject was dropped.  At the end of class, James looked for the girl, but she was already gone.  
  
The group took the same seats they had used during breakfast, and began a low voiced conversation about the prank they were planning on the nine Slytherins that had been involved in humiliating Lisa.  James and Tiffany were brought up to date on the prank, and they began figuring out how to make it work.  James suddenly stopped and stared into space, and he began smiling in a way Rose knew well.  She groaned, even as Tiffany began giggling at whatever James was thinking.  Adam looked at the three of them, and wryly inquired if they'd care to fill in the people that could not read each other's minds.  Rose looked at him, and indicated James's expression.  "Every time he gets that expression, we get grounded for something." 

James looked wounded.  "Not fair, sister mine.  We didn't get grounded for the spider prank."

 Rose rolled her eyes.  "Only because that was our first time delayed prank that worked perfectly, and they couldn't prove it was us."  
  
Tiffany spoke up, defending her Soulbonded.  "This one shouldn't get anyone grounded.  In fact, if it works, it may keep us from being grounded, or serving detentions."

 Hangeld spoke then.  "Why don't you tell us what it is, and then we'll decide." 

James grinned, and started explaining what he had in mind.  "It's really very simple, and it will help with our project also.  Tiffany's memories have a group in them, called the Marauders.  They were a group of students that hung out and did things together.  I want to form a similar group.  Our group though, will have just one goal."  He grinned at them all before continuing.  "I want to pull a series of pranks on everyone in the school, that will become legend.  But, I want to do it without anyone knowing who it is, until we leave school." 

Daniel blinked.  "How do you plan on letting people know who did it then?" 

James thought about it, and shrugged.  "Simple.  We pick a name, and create a signature to go with that name.  If we do the signature up right, we can sign them all, and not give ourselves away."  
  
The group began discussing possible names but had to go to class before deciding.  After classes, they continued the discussion as they set up a table in the corner of the Gryffindor common room to study at.  Tiffany was looking through the Care of Magical Animals book when a picture caught her eye.  "How about this one?" she asked, pushing the book around for everyone to see.  The book was open to the section on Chimera. 

Emma was puzzled.  "Why that one?" 

Tiffany was skimming the text, as she answered Emma absently.  "The Chimera is a fusion of several animals, just as we are a fusion of several types.  Two Americans, one muggle born, one half giant, and so on."  She pushed the book around again.  "We are nine different people, with different goals and ideas, brought together and fused into one."  
  
The rest of the group looked at each other.  Heads began nodding, and the Chimera name was taken.  Lisa was looking puzzled as they talked about ways to sign the pranks.  "James, you said this will help us with the project.  How will it do that?"  
  
James stared off into space as he answered.  "I asked everyone to try out for Quidditch so we could get practice working together as a team, and learning how we'll react under pressure.  The pranks though, will require careful planning and execution so we aren't caught.  That is how it will help.  It allows us to practice strategy and tactics without having to wait until summer training with Uncle Alexander."

_A/N: I'm being nice.  No cliffhanger this time.  So, be nice to me and review the work so far ok?  I mean, It takes forever for a three fingered typist like myself to write this stuff, so make my day, and leave me a morsel, even a crumb of encouragement.  Has anybody figured out yet who the dark haired girl is?  She is about to play a major part in James and Tiffany's life._


	7. Chimera

_A/N: The first prank of Chimera, and for those of you that remember a couple of hints about it, we're finally going to find out what that thing is that Rose and James want to forget about.  It's not important yet, but after the chapter called "Darkest hour" it is going to be very important._

_Yet more Disclaimers: You know how it goes.  I have based the story on things and places from JKR and a dozen more, I own the plot I think…then again, I might have borrowed that too.  Look, I am not making anything from this, it's just to amuse myself, and maybe a few readers, if anybody doesn't like that, I'm sorry._

**_Retribution_**  
  


  
Chimera had already prepared the prank, and the last thing they were waiting for was the Slytherin house password.  They were discussing ways to get it at lunch and finally Lisa spoke up.  "I know how to get it, but I would rather we were the only ones that knew I had this."  
  
Lisa led them to a small courtyard, and when she had checked to be sure that only the friends could see, she pulled a small crystal from her robes.  The crystal was a milky white, and looked like a piece of quartz, except for a dim glow coming from it.  James and Rose knew what it was, and exchanged looks.  Rose asked, "How is a communication Magicrystal going to help us?"  
  
Lisa grinned, and told them.  "Simple really.  This is not half of a set, but a different kind of communication crystal.  It records sounds within ten feet of it and sends it to this ring.  All we have to do is get it close to the Slytherin house entrance, and the next time one of them speaks the password to their common room, we'll know what it is."  
  
Adam and Hangeld were looking confused.  "Pardon me," said Adam, "but would somebody fill me in on what that thing is?"  Hangeld nodded his agreement, and Lisa turned to them.  
  
"Have you ever heard of Magicrystals Adam?"  The look of confusion on his face was all the answer Lisa needed, and she began explaining just what it was.  "North of here, near the border of the giant lands is a small village called Drakenoir.  It serves a couple of purposes, but it's mainly there to mine a rare crystal."  Indicating the one she held, she continued.  "They are very similar to quartz, but these can hold a spell.  Not only that, but they absorb small amounts of magic.  This allows the spell to be self sustaining, and the spell will last indefinitely, or can be used over and over."  
  
Adam thought about that and then asked, "Why doesn't everyone just use those then?  It seems much easier than always casting a new spell."  
  
Lisa shrugged.  "The crystals are rare, and only fifty or so are found each year.  This one cost my grandfather 1,000 galleons."  
  
Adam blinked, and stared at the crystal with a new expression.  "That thing is worth fourteen thousand pounds?"  
  
The wizard born looked confused.  "Pounds of what?" asked Melissa.  
  
Adam explained that "pounds" in this sense referred to British Muggle money.  "When my parents and I got my school supplies, we had to exchange them for galleons at fourteen to one."  
  
Emma was staring at the crystal intently.  "That's how your grandfather was always one step ahead of my grandfather.  He had that thing in Minister Fudge's office didn't he?"  
  
Lisa nodded.  "Yes.  Since the Malfoy name had respect then, Minister Fudge had to sign anything that concerned them, and Lucius knew all about it and could take steps.  It was not this one though, he had three of them, and this one he used elsewhere.  I took it to use in the house."  
  
The other wizards stared at her.  Lisa looked at them, and guessed the direction of their thoughts.  "Just because somebody can have children, does not mean they should.  Not every house is a home."  
  
James nodded.  "Right then."  He stopped and blinked.  "Bloody." he trailed off and turned to stare at a smiling Tiffany.  "You can stop infecting my perfectly good English with those British slang expressions now thank you."  He considered Tiffany's mirth and suddenly grinned at her.  "Unless you want me to spend the next week thinking in valleyspeak?"  
  
Tiffany stared at him as she looked at his memories.  "You mean that "Like totally gag me with a spoon" stuff?"  
  
"Totally for real dudette."  James smirked as Tiffany winced.  His expression turned thoughtful as he considered the crystal.  He looked at Tiffany again.  "I think you and Rose will take Lisa to plant the crystal."  
  
Tiffany grinned as she followed his thoughts.  "You want me to use the Marauder's Map to find the entrance, and Rose to use her sight to avoid Slytherins."  
  
"Yes, and since this is for Lisa, and it's her crystal, she should get to plant it, don't you think?"  James and Tiffany didn't really need words between them, being aware of each other's thoughts as they thought them, but it was easier to put their thinking into conversation, as it was what they were used to.

"Excuse me, but would somebody tell me what a Marauder's Map is?"  Melissa was looking confused.

Tiffany explained about the map that allowed its user to see everyone moving around Hogwarts and find the secret passages.  Adam was enthralled with the idea.  "When you are done with that thing, may I have it for a few days?"  
  
The group headed to class, making the last of their plans as they walked to class.  James, Rose and Tiffany were carrying on a three-way conversation during Professor Binns lecture, as they began working on the signature spell for Chimera.  The rest of the first year Gryffindors were becoming very familiar with the abstracted expression the three got when they used the links to talk to each other.  
  
After classes for the day were over, Tiffany got the Marauder's Map from her room, and she led Rose and Lisa in the direction of Slytherin House's entrance.  With Rose watching the future paths in her head, using them to avoid Slytherins and Tiffany's use of the Map, the crystal was soon planted.  James kept track of them all using the links with his sister and Tiffany, telling the remaining members of Chimera what they were doing.  Melissa was deep in thought while the other girls were gone, and she spent most of the time scribbling on a parchment she carried everywhere to make notes on.  
  
When they had the crystal planted and the three girls back, they headed to the library to do the homework for the day.  Lisa was wearing the small chip of the crystal that was the second half of the crystal.  Set in a ring, every time somebody spoke within the range of the larger half of the crystal, Lisa heard it like a whisper in her ear.  It took barely an hour before they had the Slytherin House password, (Purebloods) and they set their final plans.  At dinner, Lisa was frowning slightly, and left the table when the Slytherin Prefect that Prefect Moore and she had spoken to got up to leave.  She spoke to him for minute, and then came back to the table.  Facing the inquiring stares, she shrugged.  "I had to warn him to leave a couple of empty seats around the ones we're going to get with the prank.  After all, I don't want them getting caught up in this."  
  
The group was distracted that night in the common room as they waited for everyone to go to bed.  Finally, only Prefect Moore and Chimera were left.  Prefect Moore grinned at them as he moved from the corner he's been sitting in to a chair within easy talking distance of the nine first year students.  "I have checked your story, and done some research.  Either this is the most elaborate prank ever conceived of, or you are on the level with your project."  
  
James and Tiffany stared at him, and James' voice was cold as he spoke.  "Did you read the research on Soulbonds?"  
  
Prefect Moore nodded, his eyes searching their faces as if to see the ageing that was affecting them.  James and Tiffany were ageing three years for every one year that passed.  Only a week into the Soulbond, they were not showing the effects of ageing yet, except in their eyes.  Both of them had a depth, an oddly adult look in their eyes.  James had known before he came to Hogwarts what the fate of the Soulbonded couple would be, and Tiffany had learned during the Bonding.  Dealing with the fact that they would die before reaching thirty had been a large part of the frenzy during the Bonding.  While they had dealt with it, they were aware of their mortality in a way most eleven year olds were not.  Rose's eyes reflected that oddly adult thinking also.  
  
James measured Prefect Moore with his eyes, even as he spoke again quietly.  "Then you know what we face, and why.  Do you really think this is a prank?"  
  
"No, I don't.  What can I do to help?" was the quiet rejoinder. 

James slipped into the links, speaking to both of the girls.  _"What do you think?  Can he help us, besides being a prefect?"_  
  
_"Brother mine, we're going to war.  We can always use more troops."_ sent Rose, who was examining the paths.  _"Nothing_ _I can see yet makes him a threat, and in the short run, he's going to be helpful while he's here at Hogwarts."_  
  
James frowned as his desire to have some help warred with his paranoia about telling other people what they were doing.  While nothing they were doing was breaking any rules by wizarding laws, it was odd enough that the authorities might decide to do something about it anyway.  With Fudge still in the Ministry of Magic, and the experiences of Harry and Ginny Potter during the Voldemort War as a warning, nobody wanted the project coming to his attention.  James considered Tiffany's thoughts and what Rose had said and made his decision.  _"Rose, you wanted him, he's your responsibility.  Be sure you make him understand I will not tolerate any breeches in security."_  
  
Tiffany smiled at James.  _"I knew you could share if you tried."_  
  
James rolled his eyes and shrugged.  He spoke aloud, with one eye on Prefect Moore.  "Calculated risk Greeneyes.  I am trusting Rose's sight, and your feelings about him.  If you're right, no harm."  James cocked his head slightly, as he stared at the older boy.  "If you're wrong, I think we can." he hesitated, looking for the word he wanted.  "contain any possible damages."  
  
Prefect Moore felt a shiver crawl up his back as he regarded the younger boy.  Something in his voice, or the way James was evaluating him made the Prefect sure that he would not like James' attempts at damage control.  He had run across the Evans name in the American wizarding papers, and one of the stories had been very disturbing.  Prefect Moore grinned as another story came to mind.  He wasn't sure what he was going to do with it yet, but that little tidbit was simply too good not to use at some point.  
  
He looked at them curiously.  "Why are all of you still up anyway?  It's quite late, even for a Friday."  
  
Chimera looked at each other, and then at James.  James buried his head in his hands and groaned.  "He knows about the Project, he might as well know about this too."  Rose filled the Prefect in on the prank they were about to pull, and about the magical signature they would be using to cover their tracks.  Prefect Moore considered this thoughtfully, and then his eyes narrowed as several little things he'd found during his research fell into place.  
  
He looked at the twins, and worded his question carefully.  "You two wouldn't know anything about a new line of pranks at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes would you?"  
  
The group grinned at him.  Lisa arched an eyebrow.  "You mean the Green Flower line?  What makes you think we know anything about that?"  
  
Prefect Moore smiled at them.  "Two greened-eyed people, one of whom is named after a flower.  Also, one of the students at the Sorting Ceremony had a Green Flower prank pulled on him, but that prank is not in the line being sold yet, which leads me to believe that whoever used it had access to the whole line.  Now, it could be Emma, as her uncles own the shop, but when I see that ownership of the Green Flower Company is in America, and under the umbrella of Cumulus Businesses, which is owned by the Evans Clan, I start to wonder."  
  
James shrugged.  "You must have dug fairly deep to find that.  Rose and I actually own it, but our parents will run it until we finish with the Project.  We're going to use it to finance this little undertaking of ours."  
  
Prefect Moore looked at them for a long minute.  "Tell me something.  How do two 11-year-old children know enough to create all those pranks?  You haven't had enough training to know all the things you have to do to create those pranks, and some of that is very high-level magic indeed.  The spell that allows the time delay feature is very difficult.  In fact, I'm not sure I could do it."  
  
James, Tiffany and Rose held a quick three-way link, with James relaying what the girls said to the other one.  Tiffany was the first to speak.  _"I know why you can't say anything, but why don't you want me saying something?  Our friends deserve to know this.  It is going to have a major impact on the project, and I haven't sworn any oaths not to tell anyone."_  
  
James and Rose both disagreed with her.  James said, _"Tiffany, this has been one of the best kept secrets of the wizard world for more than 5,000 years.  You know only because of the Soulbond, but we don't tell anyone that is not a part of it.  That includes that thing."_  
  
Tiffany thought about the secret that the Evans had been hiding for over three thousand years, and reluctantly agreed to keep quiet.  James and Rose put on their best innocent looks and said in unison, "We just have a knack for charms.  A gift you might say."  Prefect Moore stared at them.  After 6 years at Hogwarts and a year as Prefect, he'd seen too many "Innocent" faces not to recognize the expression on James and Rose's faces now.  
  
Rose got the far away stare that meant she was looking down the future paths.  "It's time to go.  All the Slytherins are out of the common area now."  Chimera smiled, and Tiffany got out the Marauder's Map.  She laid it on the table, and they crowded around.  Adam looked at it and spoke quietly.  "We need to split up.  Since we have these three to keep in touch, Rose can stay with Melissa here, to keep track of anyone coming into the Slytherin area.  James and Emma can do the actual spell in the Slytherin common area, and Tiffany and Lisa will collect the items we need from the First year rooms."  
  
Emma looked at him.  "What are you, Daniel and Hangeld going to be doing?"  The three boys grinned at her.  James, Tiffany and Rose were grinning as well, and Emma, Melissa and Lisa looked at each other.  Emma sighed, and spoke again.  "I have the feeling that we were not told everything about this prank."  
  
James flushed.  "My fault.  I am going to use them to make sure Finch has something to worry about in another part of the castle, and since we are going to be busy, I didn't tell you all about it."  
  
Tiffany was looking over James's memories.  "James, you're almost lying.  You don't tell anyone everything, except Rose."  
  
James blinked and looked at his memories through Tiffany's eyes.  "You might be right Greeneyes.  I'll have to watch that.  I can't expect us to work as a team, if I'm keeping things they need to know from them."  
  
Emma made a suggestion.  "Adam, you're running the show, you need to have contact with the groups.  I'll trade places with you."  
  
Adam thought about that and agreed.  With the missions assigned, they left through the portrait and headed toward their areas.  
  
In the hallway at the last intersection before the Slytherin House entrance, Rose and Melissa hid, while the three that would be creating the distraction took the Map and headed for the north tower.  The rest of the group went to the Slytherin Entrance.  Lisa gave the password, (Purebloods) and they went into the common area.  The Slytherin common area was similar to the Gryffindor one, but it had more alcoves and smaller tables.  James and Adam set up the items needed for the prank as Tiffany and Lisa headed up the stairs to the first year girls rooms.  Rose was watching the Paths, and relaying to James, who relayed in turn to Tiffany.  The two girls came back with the things they had chosen to cast the prank on, and sat in an alcove, waiting for James and Adam to finish casting the prank.  It did not take long, and they returned the girls things, and went after the first year boy's things.  
  
At the north tower, Emma, Daniel and Hangeld were setting up the disks that would be used to keep Finch busy.  Hangeld was keeping an eye on the corridor as Daniel and Emma worked in silence.  With the wooden disks in place, Daniel cast the time-delayed activation and the two of them rejoined Hangeld.  He was frowning.  Motioning them closer, he whispered in their ears.  "Mrs. Norris just went into that room.  We'll have to take the back stairs down."  The three of them had just started down the stairs when a yowling started behind them.  They spun around to see Mrs. Norris staring at them from the doorway of a room.  The three looked at each other and fled.  
  
In the Slytherin common area, the prank was finished, and the group was heading out the entrance.  As they got to the corner where Rose and Melissa were hiding, Rose sent a warning to James.  "The Bloody Baron is coming this way."  
  
James and Tiffany got the news at the same time, and looked at each other.  They pulled Lisa and Adam in to corners, and waited tensely.  The Bloody Baron drifted down the hall past where Rose and Melissa were without seeming to notice anything.  As he got to the area where the other four were, he stopped and looked around.  "I can feel your presence.  Why don't you come out, or do I need to call Mr. Finch?"  James and Tiffany stepped out of hiding.  
  
"No need for that sir."  James said calmly.  "Tiffany and I were merely exploring."  The Bloody Baron looked at them.  A light of recognition sparked in his eyes.  
  
"You're that Soulbonded pair from Gryffindor.  What are you doing down here?" asked the Baron.  He looked past them to the hidden door of Slytherin House.  "I think it's a bit strange to find you down here."  
  
James shook his head.  "Actually, we were exploring all of Hogwarts.  You just happened to find us here.  If you had been an hour later, you would have found us somewhere else."  
  
The Baron looked at them and frowned.  "It's still against the rules for you to be out this late at night.  Go to bed."  
  
Tiffany spoke for the first time.  "Why?  So I can lay there and stare at the ceiling?"  When the Baron looked confused, she elaborated.  "The Soulbond does things to us.  One of those things is that we only need about three or four hours sleep each night."  Tiffany grimaced as she continued.  "So I can lay there for hours, staring at the ceiling, or I can sit in the common area."  She grinned at James.  "Or I can join the Yank as he wanders around Hogwarts."  
  
The Baron watched them for a minute.  "I knew a Soulbonded pair in life once.  I remember how they burned out and how they felt an urge to be doing something all the time.  I suggest that you be more careful about being caught.  Peeves would cause you trouble just to do so."  With that final word, the Baron floated through the wall and disappeared.  
  
James and Tiffany waited a minute, and motioned the other two out.  Lisa and Daniel joined them, and they headed down the hall towards Rose and Melissa.  The six of them headed back towards Gryffindor House and waited in the common area for the others.  When they did not show up after about twenty minutes James asked Rose to look for them.  Rose looked down the Paths and found them trying to avoid Mr. Finch and Mrs. Norris.  
  
In the north tower, the three had run down the back stairway, only to be stopped when one of the stairways was moving into a new position.  Emma looked at the Marauder's Map, and frowned.  "This is going to take us back towards the front of the tower now."  They crowded around the Map, looking for a way to avoid Finch and his cat.  Emma traced a path.  "Look here.  If we cut through this room, and take this first hallway, we can get around them both."  The trio headed down the hall, looking for the doorway they needed.  Daniel was the first to spot it, and he tried the handle.  As the door opened, they pushed inside, and Emma looked back, searching for Mr. Finch or his cat.  Because of this, she was the only one that missed the sight of Peeves staring at himself in the mirror.  Daniel and Hangeld exchanged disbelieving looks as they watched Peeves striking muscle poses in the mirror.  Emma turned around saying, "I don't see Finch."  She trailed off as Peeves spun around, still in his last pose.  Emma smiled at him.  "We'll make you a deal Peeves.  We didn't see you and you didn't see us.  Agreed?"  
  
Peeves looked at the smirking first years.  He started to say something and closed his mouth, considering what they had seen.  "Deal.  I didn't see you out of your house, and you didn't see me at all."  Peeves rose, and vanished through the ceiling.  
  
The three friends grinned and headed for the door they needed.  Opening it a crack, Daniel looked out in the hall.  "It looks clear, let's go."  Emma was looking at the Map, and agreed with him.  She led them out into the hall they needed and down to the left.  At the corner of the hall, she looked at the Map, and found Mr. Finch and Mrs. Norris approaching.

 Emma frowned.  "How long until that prank goes off?  We're about to be trapped here if something does not distract those two."  
  
Daniel looked at his watch.  "We've got to avoid them for another three minutes.  If we do, they'll be much too busy to bother us anymore."  
  
Emma looked at the Map again, but before she could say anything, the howling of a wolf came echoing up the stairs.  Daniel and Emma jumped, but Hangeld just cocked his head, listening to the howling.  "Bloody good imitation."  Hangeld said admiringly.  The other two looked at him, confusion clear in their faces.  Hangeld shrugged.  "My Father keeps a lot of animals, and not all of them are as dangerous as Hippogriffs and Dragons.  That is a good imitation, but only an imitation."  
  
Emma looked at the Marauder's Map again, and grinned.  "James and Tiffany are at the base of the tower.  I bet they're the ones doing it."  She watched as Finch and Mrs. Norris went racing down the stairs toward the sounds still echoing up the staircase.  "We're clear if we hurry."  She started for the staircase again, watching the Map as she led the two boys around the staircase the caretaker and his pet were on.  With the Map, they were clear of the tower and almost back to Gryffindor when James and Tiffany met them.  Tiffany was shaking her head at James.  
  
"James, if you keep leaving prank disks around, marked with the Green Flower or not, somebody's going to catch you."  Tiffany was saying as they headed for the Fat Lady's portrait.  
  
James shrugged and gave a reply that was going to become very familiar to all of them before long.  "Calculated risk.  If the Green Flower line catches on, soon there will be disks everywhere.  I have a lot of them without markings, but without markings they can't actually blame Rose or I for them, because once you buy a disk, figuring out how to make one is not that hard."  He smiled then.  "Besides, this is all in fun, and without taking a few chances, it wouldn't be as much fun."  
  
The five students were in the hallway with the Gryffindor common room entrance when a faint sound started up from the direction of the north tower.  James cocked his head, listening to it.  As it grew louder, the wizard born stared at each other puzzled.  
  
Hangeld had the best hearing of the group, and he was the first to ask, "What is a 'weem a wop', and why would a lion sleep at night?"  
  
James and Tiffany just grinned.  James cautioned them about listening to the song now blaring out of the tower.  "It's contagious you see.  If you listen to it too much, it gets stuck in the back of your head, and you'll find yourself humming it for days."  
  
The group went into the Gryffindor area where the rest of the first years and Prefect Moore were waiting.  With the portrait closed, the commotion from the tower was not audible, and they had fun explaining it to the rest of the group.  Adam had heard the song before and shuddered.  "Why did you place all those disks?  Couldn't you spell the song into one disk?"  
  
James and Rose grinned as Tiffany answered him.  "Of course, but with only one disk, it wouldn't be in stereo."  
  
Tiffany frowned, searching James's memories.  She finally found 'stereo' in them, and she looked at them.  Looking at James, she frowned slightly.  "It's going to take awhile to get used to this.  I could see the word when Adam asked the question, but I didn't know what it meant."  
  
Melissa cocked her head at them.  Her eyes were bright as she examined them.  "Would you two mind if I asked a couple of questions?" she said.  James and Tiffany shrugged.  Melissa got out her parchment, and began reading off questions she had been saving since the first night.  Most of the questions were about the mental and emotional effects of the Soulbond, and the pair took turns answering them as the rest of the group headed to bed.  After a few more questions, Melissa flipped her parchment over, and started asking about the physical effects of the Soulbond.  
  
"If I cut one of you, does the other one get cut, or just feel the cut?"  The pair looked at each other, and shrugged.  Melissa made a note to try that as an experiment later.  "How do you deal with physical sensations that you have not had?  For example, what do you do when one of you has to use the bathroom?"  James and Tiffany both turned red, and James spoke.  
  
"Melissa, save that question.  We're still trying not to think about it."  
  
Melissa looked up from her notes, but her eyes were far away, as she spoke again.  "You really should come to terms with it.  You do realize that you are the first couple to ever Soulbond before puberty don't you?  And that you're going to experience all of it from both sides?"  
  
James and Tiffany stared at each other, and then turned to Melissa.  She was unaware of them, as she continued making notes.  
  
_"Greeneyes, I never even thought about that, did you?"_  asked James.  
  
Tiffany was hiding her face in her hands_.  "Are you kidding?  I never even considered it."_  She raised her head and looked at James.  _"What do you think it's going to be like?"_  James could only shrug.  Tiffany could feel his thinking, and she realized that they both had the same problem.  They were the oldest children in their families, ands they had no idea what happened when someone hit puberty.  Tiffany had an idea though.  _"We can ask Emma.  She has older siblings."_  
  
James stared at her.  _"You can ask that question.  'Excuse me, but could you ask your brothers what going through puberty is like?'  I need to know because I'm about to do it myself."_  James blushed.  _"It would be even worse for me. 'Excuse me Emma, can you tell me if I'm feeling Tiffany's PMS, or just a stomachache from too many chocolate frogs?'_ he sent.  Tiffany blushed thinking about something she had overheard at the Burrow.  
  
She buried her face again as she read James's memories.  _"Please tell me that 'wetdreams' are some sort of myth."_  
  
James blinked and then buried his face in his hands.  _"Somebody shoot me now."_  
  
Melissa finished her notes and looked up.  "I envy you two."  She said wistfully.  "You have the perfect opportunity to experience everything from the inside."  She sighed.  "Do you have any idea how much a researcher would give for that chance?"  She looked at them, and raised an eyebrow.  "What's the matter?"  
  
James and Tiffany stared at her.  James glanced at Tiffany.  _"She's serious you know.  She would love to do this."_  
  
Tiffany was still thinking about the other thing.  _"She's welcome to it."_  James saw what she was thinking about and blushed.  
  
He shuddered at a sudden thought.  _"Is this something you will be doing?"_  Tiffany saw what he was thinking about, and blushed again.  
  
She got up and started up the stairs to the girl's rooms.  _"I can't look at you and discuss this.  Yes, all women do that.  We have to."  _She reached the room she shared with Emma, and began getting ready for bed_.  "We're going to have to think of something Yank.  I don't really feel like going through Hogwarts with a permanent blush on my face."_  
  
James had headed for the stairs when Tiffany did, and he was getting ready for bed when Adam stood up and went to his trunk.  James had looked over there when he saw the movement.  Tiffany flared into embarrassment as he/she/they saw Adam.  James looked away quickly, but the sight of Adam in the boxers was already stuck in Tiffany's head.  James got into bed and pulled the curtains closed_.  "I never thought of this either.  We will be seeing each other's roommates in situations we shouldn't."_  
  
Tiffany was still embarrassed by what she'd seen.  _"Hasn't anyone told Adam about pajamas?"_  
  
_"Why?  I wouldn't be wearing them either, if it wasn't for the Soulbond."_  James replied.  _"What are we going to do about this?  Somehow I don't think our friends are going to like the idea of a member of the opposite sex seeing them, even if they are not actually in the room."_  
  
Tiffany agreed, but didn't have any suggestions as what they should do.  _"Is this something we should take to Professor McGonagall you think?  We were told to report any difficulties to the House head."_  
  
_"We're going to have to.  We might have to get private rooms or something.  There is too much chance of embarrassing somebody this way."_  James grinned as Tiffany remembered Adam again and her embarrassment flooded the Soulbond again.  _"How long is it going to take you to stop doing that every time you think of that?"_  
  
Tiffany sent him a mental image of her sticking her tongue out at him.  _"Just you wait.  One of these days, you'll see something that embarrasses you."  _She thought about something he'd said earlier.  _"Or maybe you will feel it."_  
  
James winced as he followed her thinking.  _"It's not that that embarrasses me, but it seems unnatural.  How can you do that?"_  
  
Tiffany smirked at him mentally.  _"It's a girl thing.  And with that thought, I'm going to bed Yank."  _Tiffany smiled at James's parting thought, and drifted into sleep.  
  
The next morning, all the Gryffindor first years were up early.  James and Tiffany watched in bemusement as even the two meter tall Hangeld walked carefully around the bleary eyed Lisa.  James looked at Rose, and tilted an inquiring head in Lisa's direction.  Rose grinned, and settled into a deep windowsill next to James's chair.  "Lisa is not a morning person.  We've learned to avoid her until after breakfast at least."  
  
James smiled as Lisa frowned at Rose.  "Our Lisa couldn't be that bad, could she?"  
  
Lisa stared at James.  "I hate mornings.  I hate happy people in the morning, and I seriously think they should be against the law."  Lisa's voice held the utter conviction of a person roused before she wanted to get up.  
  
James smiled innocently.  "Then I take it you're not going to be happy when we start exercising in the morning before breakfast?"  
  
The rest of the first years stared at James.  Emma was the first to speak.  "What are you talking about?"  
  
James grinned as he replied, "We have to be physically strong for some of the things we're going to do, and physical training, or PT is the only way I know to build strength."  
  
Lisa glared at him.  "Couldn't we do that after classes?"  
  
James put on a pious expression, but the humour in his eyes gave him away.  "We could, if you'd like to do twice as much PT.  It is more effective to do it in the morning."  
  
Lisa turned to Melissa.  "Is that true?  Is it more effective in the morning?"  
  
Melissa shrugged.  "I don't know.  I've never studied it, and I don't know anyone who has in the wizard world.  It's not something we normally worry about.  I can find out easily though."  
  
Lisa groaned.  "Great.  Not only do I have to get up early, I have to be active as well."  
  
Talk turned to the upcoming prank.  As the rest of the Gryffindors started coming down the stairs, they were greeted with the sight of nine laughing first years.  Prefect Moore was one of the first ones down, and he joined the group.  "Everything worked last night I take it."  
  
James nodded but cautioned the older boy about talking about the prank.  "After all, we don't want anybody but us knowing about it yet."  Prefect Moore agreed, but told them he wanted to talk to them later, somewhere they were not likely to be overheard.  With that comment, he went to breakfast, leaving James to stare at his back.  
  
"What's he up to Rose?"  James asked his sister.  She looked with the Sight for several minutes.  
  
"I can't tell.  It's nothing bad to us, or the prophecy, but it reaches very far into the future, and I can't tell what it is."  Rose looked absent as she followed the Paths her inner sight opened to her.  "He's in all of our futures though so we had better make sure of him.  Melissa and I will speak to him today."  
  
The group went to breakfast early enough to get seats that let them watch the Slytherin table.  James grinned at Lisa.  "When are you going to activate it?"  
  
Lisa considered the matter.  "When the owl post arrives I think.  Everyone will be looking for mail, and I would rather nobody saw me pointing a wand at them when this goes off."  People started coming in for breakfast, and the first year Slytherins were among them.  As was Slytherin custom, the first years sat at the end of the table.  Breakfast started, and went normally until the owl post arrived.  While everyone looked up to see if they had any mail, Lisa pointed her wand at the Slytherin table, and cast the spell that activated the spell they had set the night before.  
  
She turned to James when nothing happened after a few seconds, and James anticipated her question.  "There's a 90 second delay, so that you have time to put your want away and be doing something else when it goes off."  Lisa nodded, and the group went back to eating, although they were all watching the Slytherins.  
  
Exactly ninety seconds after Lisa activated the spell, all nine of the first year Slytherins turned a shocking green.  It was a bright green, which nearly glowed, except for the broad yellow stripe running down their backs.  Laughter started as people noticed the new color of the young Slytherins.  As the laughter spread through the Hall, they began looking around to see what people where laughing at.  When they realized everyone was laughing at them, Martin Crabbe looked over at Lisa.  Lisa smiled at him, and raised one finger to her temple in mocking salute.  
  
The Slytherin Prefect that Lisa had been dealing with walked up to the nine students.  Studying their confusion, he spoke.  "You don't have a clue as to what's going on, do you?"  The group professed their ignorance to Prefect Grey, who walked away without enlightening the puzzled group.  As Prefect Grey sat down, phase two of the prank took affect.  
  
All nine of the victims turned pure black, with a white stripe running down their bodies.  From the startled looks on their faces, it was evident that the victims could see this color change.  At the same time, a horrid odor rose from them, causing all of them to gag, and those people closest to them to choke and cough.  The group rose and ran from the hall with loud laughter and that odor trailing after them.  
  
The pranksters were hard put to maintain their ignorance about the cause of the color and smell, as it was nearly the only topic of conversation for the rest of breakfast.  As the group left, two Prefects approached them.  Prefect Grey, of Slytherin house merely grinned at Lisa.  "Our deal still stands.  The second year and up Slytherins will not touch the first year Gryffindors, unless you start it.  But next time, try not to make such an odor pranking them please."  Lisa grinned and put on an innocent look.  
  
"I didn't do that to them.  I wouldn't even know how to go about making something like that."  Prefect Grey stared at her.  Lisa smiled again.  "I swear I did not make that prank."  Prefect Grey pondered that statement.  He started to say something, and then shook his head and walked away.  Prefect Moore just looked at Lisa.  She grinned at him, and made sure Prefect Grey was out of earshot before answering the question in his eyes.  "I told the whole truth.  "I" didn't make the prank, James and Rose did.  "I" didn't do that to them, Chimera did.  And as much as I hate to admit it, I wouldn't know how to make something like that by myself."  Prefect Moore just shook his head, and told James and Rose that Dumbledore wanted to see them.  
  
Prefect Moore escorted them to a staircase hidden behind a Gargoyle.  He whispered a password in the Gargoyle's ear and led them up the stairway.  At the top of the stairs was a single door, which he knocked on.  Albus Dumbledore's bid them come in.  The group filed in.  James and Rose had been in the office before, but the rest of the group looked around curiously.  
  
"I believe I said James and Rose, not all the first year Gryffindors."  was Dumbledore's opening comment.  
  
"Yes Sir, you did."  James said quickly.  He continued,  "but since we'll just tell them all about it anyway I figured it would be just as easy for them to hear it first hand, as to have Tiffany relay it through the Soulbond."  
  
Albus nodded thoughtfully as he looked at the students.  "I see."  He told Prefect Moore he could go, and waited until the older boy was gone before speaking again.  "Have you heard from your parents yet?" he asked, speaking to the twins.  James shook his head.  
  
"They said they'd owl us if anything important came up, but other than that, we're to study and work on our part."  said Rose.  
  
Albus looked at Adam.  "How do you feel about all of this Mr. Brooks?"  
  
Adam frowned, and took a long minute to consider the question.  "I'm not sure."  He said finally.  "I can't argue with the proofs they gave me, but it all seems very strange to me."  He grinned suddenly.  "Of course, flying broomsticks and magic in general seems fairly strange to me also."  Adam was the only muggle born wizard in Gryffindor this year, and had had less than 4 months to become accustomed to being a wizard.  Albus nodded in understanding and directed his next question to the group at large.  
  
"You all know that you are going to have a problem hiding what you're doing from the rest of the school don't you?" he said.  
  
Lisa responded.  "We will, but we've started working on that, and we have the Gryffindor Prefects covering for us as well."  
  
Dumbledore looked at James.  "You actually told them about the prophecy?"  James shot a glance at Rose before he responded.  "I didn't, Rose did, and from what I understand, she didn't mean to.  But once the cat was out of the bag, we decided to use the prefects."  James regarded Dumbledore levelly.  "I am sure we can contain any problems that might arise."  
  
Dumbledore regarded James thoughtfully.  Albus was already worried about the lengths Robert Evans would go to fulfill the prophecy, and now it appeared that James might be just as bad.  If Albus Dumbledore had known just how far James was willing to go to win he would have been much more worried.  Fortunately for his peace of mind, Dumbledore did not have foresight.  
  
Albus opened his last topic carefully.  "That was an interesting prank this morning.  I did however recognize the base spell used in the odor portion of it."  He paused, but was confronted with nine innocent faces, although some of them were not as good as others.  "The problem is, that some of the ingredients used to create that effect are not kept here at Hogwarts.  In fact, they are not even allowed here, and there is a spell that should have warned me about the presence of those things."  
  
James and Rose looked at each other.  James looked from Rose to Albus, and then at Tiffany.  He sighed and spoke quietly.  "Rose and I have rather special trunks.  They have Merlin's hidden rooms built into them."  The wizard born people in the room stared at them, and Albus cocked his head.  
  
He spoke quietly, but there was a firmness that had not been there a moment before.  "You brought two of those things here?  You are aware of what would happen if they collapsed, aren't you?"  Adam looked around, and cleared his throat.  
  
"Could somebody fill me in on what a Merlin's hidden room is, and what might happen if it collapsed?"  he asked quietly.  
  
Lisa answered him absently, with her eyes on the twins.  "Merlin's hidden room is a space, created by magic.  A wizard can make it any size, but it's a delicate spell.  It has to be tied to a wizard's magic to be maintained.  If the wizard's strength fails, the room collapses.  When it does so, it destroys everything within an area equal to the size of itself."  
  
Dumbledore looked at the twins.  "Just how big are your hidden rooms?"  
  
James and Rose began finding something very interesting with their hands.  Albus looked at Tiffany, but she too was examining her fingernails with great interest.  "If you will not tell me, I will have no choice but to have your trunks sent home.  I cannot have a potentially dangerous situation like this here."  
  
James sighed and looked at the Headmaster.  "They're both the same, twelve feet square."  Adam made the conversion to British measurements and paled.  
  
"If they failed, they'd take most of our room with them."  He said.  Thinking a bit more, he looked at James.  "Just why do you have something like that anyway?"  James sighed again but didn't say anything.  Albus looked at the three green eyed children, finding a tension that was all out of proportion to the subject.  Dumbledore was filled with a sudden forbidding.  
  
"Mr. Evans, I think there is something I need to know going on here.  You will tell me about it now."  Albus Dumbledore's voice was stern and held a steely note that said he was quite serious.  
  
James turned to the rest of the first years.  "I wish I could tell you about this, but I can't.  Would you give us a few minutes with the Headmaster please?"  The others blinked.  
  
Emma looked angry as she spoke.  "You are hiding something from us.  I thought you were going to be honest with us."  
  
James winced.  "It is a Clan secret, and nothing to do with the prophecy.  In fact, I cannot tell you, as I have sworn not to, under the Pendragon Ice Binding Oath."  Emma lost her anger.  The Pendragon Ice Binding Oath was quite possibly the perfect Oath and it was the most feared.  An outside force could not break it, and the only wizard that had ever broken it deliberately had never been seen again.  The Pendragon wizard that had cast the Oath on him had sworn until his dying day however, that the oath breaker was still alive.  
  
The students filed out of the room, leaving James, Rose and Tiffany with Albus Dumbledore.  James checked to make sure that the other were not hiding outside the door, and turned to the Headmaster.  "The rooms are safe.  They are tied to the entire American Evans clan, every one of us bound by blood.  All of us would have to die before the rooms would collapse."  
  
Dumbledore nodded.  "Then I will not worry about that, however that leaves open the question of what is in those rooms that requires an oath as serious as the Ice Binding."  
  
James looked at Albus hopefully.  "Would you take my word that there is nothing in there that anyone can use to harm the school?"  Albus raised one eyebrow and merely regarded the young American until James looked away.  "I didn't think you would.  We have some prank supplies in there; I'll give you a list later.  We also have a copy of the Evans clan spellbooks, the Pendragon spellbooks, and a dozen more hard to find books that might help with the prophecy."  
  
Albus nodded, and spoke again.  "I will want to see a list of those books, but nothing you have mentioned yet would require that oath."  
  
James muttered something, and Dumbledore asked him to repeat it.  "I said we have the Draconian Codex in mine."  Albus Dumbledore paled, and he stared at James with something very like fear behind his eyes.  Behind Dumbledore, Fawkes stirred, looking at the group.  Dumbledore took a deep breath, and thought about everything he'd ever heard about the Codex.  The Codex was the ultimate spellbook, containing spells that could be found nowhere else.  Wizard history said that the last time the Codex had been used, it had taken more than a thousand wizards and witches to stop the single wizard that had it.  In the process of stopping him, the island of Atlantis had been destroyed, and so many people had died that no accurate count could ever be made.  Beyond history, legend said it was the First Spellbook, used in the creation of the world.  
  
Albus stopped his racing thoughts and asked the single most important question on his mind.  "What are you doing with that, and why is it here?"  
  
Rose had moved over to a window and was looking outside.  She answered the question quietly.  "The Evans clan has guarded the Codex for more than three thousand years.  Ever since the destruction of Atlantis, we have watched over it, and kept it from being used or stolen.  It must be tied to one person though, and right now, James is that one person."  
  
James looked up at Dumbledore, and his eyes were tired.  "Trust me Sir, I would rather not have it at all, but it is a trust given to our family, and I am the current holder of that trust."  
  
Albus Dumbledore sat and thought about the Codex, and the dangers of the book.  Several pieces of something he had been puzzling over fell into place, and he looked up.  "Have you heard the legend of the Guardians?"  James and Rose shrugged.  
  
"Who hasn't?" asked Rose.  "According to the legend, several thousand years ago, nearly every wizard and witch alive then got together and created a single family of wizards who seek out and destroy evil magics.  To accomplish this task, they were given extraordinary power and gifts.  If they cannot destroy them, they hide them forever."  The twins blinked and looked at the Headmaster.   
  
Albus Dumbledore was about to continue this line of questioning when all three of the children went blank.  A presence entered Albus's office.  The presence exuded power in waves that nearly brought Albus to his knees.  
  
"Albus Dumbledore, pursue not this question at your peril."  The voice that spoke in Dumbledore's head was sexless and neutral, but still carried the feeling of power that filled his office.  "These children will soon face the greatest evil ever to walk the face of the earth, and they do not need any distractions."  Albus cleared his head, and took a deep breath.  
  
"Who are you?"  Albus thought about that question and rephrased it.  "What are you?"  
  
"Who or what I am is not your concern.  You must train these children to the limits of their skills.  That is your task Albus Dumbledore."  The voice softened somehow, becoming compassionate.  "Far sooner than they think, these children will have their souls tested.  I gave Elric that line about heartache because these children must have steel in their souls, and yet keep compassion in their hearts.  Protect them Albus Dumbledore, but think not to shelter them.  The storm comes, and they will be the world's shelter, or its destruction."  With that final ominous note, the presence was gone as suddenly as it had arrived.  The three students looked at Dumbledore.  
  
James shook his head.  "I'm sorry Sir, I must have missed that last question, would you repeat it?"  Albus Dumbledore just shook his head.  He needed some time to think about the things he had heard in the last few minutes, but he had one more thing he needed to know.  
  
"Is there any chance at all that anyone could find that book while it is here?"  he asked quietly.  James and the two girls held a long mental conversation, and then they all turned to Dumbledore.  
  
James spoke quietly, as if he feared being overheard.  "The shields around the room prevent any scrying or detection, and the only people that can enter the rooms are myself and Rose.  Tiffany might be able to because of the Soulbond, but even if somebody did get into the room, they could not use the book without Rose and I releasing the wards around it.  I don't know about Rose, but the end of the world would have to be starting before I'd use that damn thing."  Albus blinked in surprise to hear the normally polite James swear.  
  
"Even then," added Rose, "I think I might let the world end rather than open that book."  James thought about that, and nodded agreement.  
  
Tiffany spoke up.  "I think I would try to stop them if they did try to use it.  I have not even seen it, only James's memories of it, and it scares me to death."  
  
Albus sighed.  "Then I will leave it at that, with one rule.  You will not open the room that thing is in while it's at Hogwarts without telling me in advance.  Is that perfectly clear?"  The three agreed and started to leave.  Dumbledore stopped them.  "I know about your feud with the Slytherins, and as long as nobody is hurt, misses classes or meals, I will not interfere.  However, if you get caught, I will have to do something about it, is that understood?"  James grinned with the mischief bright in his eyes, and the two girls knew what was coming.  
  
"Calculated risk Sir.  But win, lose or draw, we're still going to play the game."  James smiled, and then a thought passed through his head, and he regarded the Headmaster carefully.  Tiffany felt the direction of his thoughts, and shushed him mentally, promising to talk to him about it later.  The three left, finding the rest of the group sitting around the Gargoyle.  The reunited group headed outside to talk.

_A/N:  I told you we would find out what worried them so much.  There will be a story or two about the Codex later, but here are the main points:  It's got spells that give any witch or wizard the power of a minor god.  You could raise mountain ranges from the sea if you wish, or destroy them.  Problem with the Codex is, it is addictive.  You start out maybe using a little spell, and soon you find you can't do anything with using that book.  Then as you go through it, you find the big spells.  Creating islands, bringing the dead back to life, and more.  If you can think of something, there is a spell in that book to do it.  The idea came about as I thought about spell books.  If you find, learn or acquire a good spell, you're going to write it down, and keep it.  After a few generations do this, you have a whole collection of great spells.  Thus was born the Evans family spell books, and the Pendragon spell books.  The Codex is simply the ultimate spellbook.  Wizard legend says it's the first spell book, used by who ever created the world.  Wizard History can prove that seven thousand years ago, it was used to destroy an entire planet.  The asteroid belt circles the sun where that planet used to be.  A mere three thousand years ago, it was used for revenge, and the island of Atlantis was destroyed.  Since then the thing has been hidden by the ancestors of the Evans Clan.  For the last one thousand years, it's been in the Evans clan care, and they have hidden it.  No, the Evans clan is not the Guardians, as Dumbledore suggested.  The Pendragons are the Guardians, and James and Rose are only half Pendragon, but more importantly, the rituals that every Pendragon must go through have not bound them.  (I know everyone has read Mary's story, and remembers the ring that she had to lose before she could hide.  That ring is the physical side of the bonds that the Pendragons have.)  As for the presence… Well, it will be back, but it's only a subplot in this story._

_Need I say it?  You know what I like.  Feedback, review, words o reader, that you type to me, telling me I'm great (Preferred) ok, (Accepted) or the greatest huckster of farm fertilizer since printing.  (Sniff, sniff. I hope I don't get too many of those.)_


	8. Eight who are One

A/N:  Finally we're going to meet the mysterious dark haired Slytherin.  Along the way, we're going to see just how far James will go to protect people that can't protect themselves, and that is going to make the Eight's lives a bit more interesting.  We're also going to solve the "Eight who are one" line in the Prophecy.

Disclaimers.  By now you should know them as well as I do.  It's based on people, things and places I don't own, I am not making anything off of this, and it's all in fun.  Don't sue me, or send large grouchy men to 'persuade' me to stop.  Emails work very well thank you.

Eight who are one

The rest of the morning passed quietly, as the three who had met with Dumbledore told the others what they could about what had been said. When everything had been discussed, James raised the thing that had bothered him in the Headmaster's office.

"Did anyone talk about the feud or the prank to anyone besides Prefect Moore?" The other looked at James curiously, but they all denied it. James frowned. "That is what I thought, but I had to make sure. Nobody here said anything, which leaves just two options. Prefect Moore said something, or Dumbledore has some way of listening to conversations that happen in Hogwarts." James sent Daniel to find Prefect Moore and bring him here. As James said, "He wanted to talk to us anyway, and now I want to talk to him." 

Emma was watching James and Tiffany who were sitting back against the same tree. Every time their attention became focused on something, or they were distracted, they started touching. It didn't matter what body part they gravitated toward each other. When they realized what they were doing, they would pull back. Emma quietly pointed it out to Melissa, and the two of them watched the bonded couple for a few minutes. Rose became aware of the focus of their attention and soon all three of the girls were having a whispered argument that involved a great deal of laughing and giggling. It did not take the boys long to figure out that they had lost the attention of the girls. They were staring at the girls trying to decide what was so fascinating. Hangeld and Adam were watching the girls, the girls were watching James and Tiffany, and the soul mates were still trying to figure out what they were going to do about their roommates. Lisa was the only one present not involved in the watching, and she was even more unaware than the rest, as she had her nose in a book.

That was how Prefect Moore found them, and he stopped to study the group for a minute. Physically, they looked like any other group of first years he seen, with the sole exception of Hangeld, whose size would make him stand out anywhere. A closer examination would find only an oddly adult look in their eyes, as if people far older than their years lived in those bodies.

Prefect Moore was aware of James and Rose watching him, although the rest of the group had not noticed him yet. He moved up and sat next to the group. Daniel had come back with him, and sat back down with the group. "Daniel said you wanted to talk to me?"

James nodded, but Tiffany that answered him. "Did you speak of the feud or the prank to anyone?" Prefect Moore denied doing so, and the group discussed how Dumbledore might have learned of the situation. Lisa came up with the only other option, saying that the Prefect Grey might have said something. Prefect Moore said he'd talk to him about it.

Prefect Moore looked around and lowered his voice. "I wanted to ask you something. In every war, some things are lost simply because nobody keeps track of it all from the beginning. I want to record everything you do." Prefect Moore went on to explain he was going to be a historian, and that this was history in the making. "Of course, I will keep everything to myself until after the war is over, but being able to take notes before anything happens would make writing the accounts of the war much easier."

Everyone looked at James. James was considering the older boy carefully as he linked with Rose and Tiffany. "_I don't like the idea of everything we're doing being on parchment, so that anyone can read it." _He sent bluntly.

"_It does not sound like a bad idea James. I think we could keep the records safe." _Tiffany disagreed. Rose was still thinking about it, while they argued. Finally Rose spoke.

"_James, she's right this time. All we have to do to keep the records safe is put them in one of the hidden rooms." _Rose said. "_Plus, if we say no, he might keep notes anyway. Being a historian is as important to him as the project is to us. This way, we can make sure we have control of anything he writes down."_

_"I still don't like it, but I'll go along with the two of you. Rose, like I said earlier, he's your responsibility, and I can't open my room without telling Dumbledore anyway. Make sure you get all his notes, and destroy anything that he's not keeping." _James decided. Rose rolled her eyes and sighed. James raised an eyebrow at her. _"What did I do now Sister mine?"_

_"James I love you, but I did get exactly the same lessons in security that you did. Go teach the rest of the group about security, and let me talk to Moore alone." _Rose backed her mental words with a shooing motion. James grinned at her, and got up. He led the rest of the group off a bit, and they settled in the grass again.

Adam looked at James. "I was wondering why you wanted everyone to try out for the Quidditch team. Isn't that going to take time away from the project?"

James shrugged. "Yes and no. It will leave less time for actual training, but at the same time, it will give most of us practice in working together as a team, and show me who handles stress the best." He looked at Lisa then. "It will also get people used to seeing you doing good things, or normal things at least."

Lisa stared at him. "Why worry about it? We do have bigger things to worry about, and the only people that have to know what I'm like are right here."

James shook his head at her. "Not really. When the project starts, we can't have people wondering about you, or refusing to help us because of you. This will start things going right. All of Hogwarts will be telling their families about you, and if we can take the House Cup a few times, that will leave a favorable impression on people."

Hangeld was watching James thoughtfully. "Do you do anything that does not impact on the project in some way?"

James looked at Hangeld and thought about it. He frowned. Hangeld shook his head. "Never mind. If you have to think that long about it, I already know the answer." Hangeld looked at James again, and realized that he had lost James's attention. Hangeld followed the direction of James and Tiffany's stare. Near the lake, the unknown Slytherin first year was walking, and Martin Crabbe and another Slytherin boy, Michael Dunsutter were sneaking up on her. James spoke to Melissa without turning his head. "I think we're about to find out why she's so scared." The rest of the group looked at her and the two sneaking up on her.

Emma's eyes were glittering as she started to stand up. "Sit down." James's voice was barely above a whisper, but the coldness of it stopped Emma dead. "I want to see what they do, and how she responds before we get involved." James was watching the two boys with a predatory look. "After all, we don't want anyone to think we just bully people for no reason."

Rose came up then alerted by her link with James, and looked at him. "James, what are you planning?" He grinned mirthlessly without taking his eyes from the scene in front of him. "James…" said Rose warningly. 

James turned to Melissa. "Melissa, read the young lady for me, and tell me if she is anything but a victim." Melissa frowned, looking at the girl. She'd never tried to reach the emotions of a person that far away, and she was not sure if it could be done. She reached with her Empathy, finding the group around her easily, and recoiling from the burning fury building in James. That fury was also rising in Tiffany, although she was fighting it. James was letting it build, holding on to it with the stubbornness that marked everything he did. Past the group, she found the two Slytherin boys first, and the evil glee with which they regarded their target made Melissa ill. She reached past them, and found the dark haired girl. She reached into the girl, and was nearly swept away on a tide of despair, fear and depression that swirled though every thought the girl had. Melissa pulled away from the girl's emotions feeling dizzy, and Rose steadied her.

Melissa looked at the girl again. Compassion warred with pity as she gave James his answer. "She's a victim, there is not a single evil feeling in that girl, nor any of violence." Melissa considered the feelings she read in the girl in that brief tsunami of feelings. "If somebody doesn't do something, I think she might do something drastic." Melissa shivered as the fury building in the Soulbonded couple edged higher, and the look on James's face was reflecting the heat inside.

Tiffany and James moved up to the closest tree to the scene below them, and Emma watched her friend a bit nervously. Emma had seen Tiffany angry before, but this cold-eyed patience was new. Tiffany had always been the type to get angry, yell about it, and then get over it, sometimes in mere minutes. The girl standing there watching Crabbe and Dunsutter with cold eyes was not the Tiffany Emma knew, and she looked at James. Emma watched them, and suddenly she realized just how profound the changes of the Soulbond were. Emma frowned as she abruptly realized she no longer knew her best friend at all.

The rest of the group was watching the two Slytherins, who were finally in the position they wanted. They raised their wands and Crabbe struck first, immobilizing the girl with the "total body bind". Dunsutter cast a spell that the people on the slope above couldn't see, but Melissa felt the Slytherin girl's fear like a blow even at this distance. James and Tiffany were running down the hill even as Dunsutter cast, and Rose was half a step behind them. The rest of the group and Prefect Moore were late getting started, not having the links of the trio, but they were catching up and so they were close enough to see the knife in Crabbe's hand as he knelt by the girl and started cutting. Prefect Moore slowed and pulled his wand, but before he could stop Crabbe with a spell, James arrived, and what followed stopped Crabbe as surely as any spell.

James hit Crabbe from behind, slamming his shoulder into the other boy's side, just under the arm he was holding the knife in. There was a snapping sound, much like a branch breaking and Martin screamed in pain. The two rolled over the girl, and James ended up on top of Martin. He grabbed Martin's arm, twisted it up, turning the elbow up, and brought his elbow down on top of it. There was a sickening crack as Crabbe's elbow tried to bend backwards and failed. He dropped the knife, and James dropped the arm even as his other hand struck Crabbe across the face. James had used the knife-edge of his hand, and Crabbe's nose gave way under the assault, which was followed quickly by a backhanded fist that struck Martin right at the hinge of his jaw. Crabbe's jaw popped as the joint was dislocated. James looked at him for an instant, and raised his hand to strike him again. Crabbe's eyes went wide in fear, and he whimpered.

While James was dealing with Crabbe, Dunsutter had raised his wand to cast a spell on James from behind when Tiffany arrived.  Caught up in the rage resonating between James and her, she chose the most direct route to stop him.  Coming up from behind him, She kicked out.  Without any warning, and with Dunsutter facing away from Tiffany, her foot made a perfect connection with his groin, lifting him off the ground. Unable to do anything but grab himself, he was attacked by a raging whirlwind. Tiffany didn't have James's training, and she hit, scratched and kicked, caught in the rage.  She knew James had the Pendragon temper, but nothing had prepared her for feeling it. While she could access James's memories of the rage, that was at one remove, and she had nothing to reference the rage to. She was learning quickly though. Hangeld arrived on the scene and picked Tiffany up off of him, holding her away from Michael. Dunsutter fought the pain in his groin and elsewhere, and grabbed his wand.  He turned to hex her, only to find the rest of the first year Gryffindors standing there. Rose was in front, and she had her wand in one hand, and a disk in the other. The rest of them were spread out beside her, and every one of them had a wand pointing his way. Dunsutter looked at them, and dropped his wand. Rose smiled thinly. "That's possibly the smartest thing you've ever done."

Melissa took Tiffany's hands, and began sending calming feelings at her, as Prefect Moore moved toward James and Crabbe. He was the only person that heard James speaking to Crabbe.

When Crabbe had whimpered, James had halted his blow. He looked down at the bloody mask that Martin's face was becoming, and spoke very quietly. "If you even look at that girl again, touch her, encourage someone else to, or hurt her in any way, I will get very, very violent with you." Crabbe stared at James, and fear flickered in his eyes. James smiled, and it was not a nice smile. Martin Crabbe's blood went cold, and his bladder let go as James continued. "Maybe you think this was violent, but violence would be breaking half or more of the 216 bones in your body one at a time." Crabbe took a minute to think about that one and stared at James, and the fear was gone from his eyes. It had been replaced with terror. He held very still, even as the wetness on his robes testified to his fear. James rose, and never looked back as he crossed to the girl, still lying on the ground under the immobilizing spell. James released her from the spell, and offered her a hand up. She took it warily, and stood up. 

The girl was short, with large dark haunted eyes, and a sweep of sable hair reaching nearly to her waist. She looked at James and then at Crabbe. She paled and moved further from Crabbe. James led her to Rose and Melissa and turned back toward Crabbe. He sighed. "Daniel, would you get Madam Pomfrey please? I think Martin here is going to need her."

Daniel started back toward the school, and James turned to the unknown girl again. Melissa and Rose were blocking her view of Martin, and comforting her. James's tone was gentler than anyone except Rose had heard from him. "Are you ok?"

The girl looked up at him and nodded. James smiled gently at her and introduced himself. "I'm James Evans, and this is my sister Rose, and our friend Melissa." Indicating the rest of the group, he introduced everyone. Melissa felt a strange spike of fear and resignation from the girl as the group was introduced.

"My name is Mercy. Mercy Riddle." Silence fell across the group as the British wizard born heard the family name of Voldemort. Adam looked at the suddenly uncomfortable group, and at James and Rose, who were taking it calmly.

"Would somebody tell me why her name makes you look like she suddenly grew another head?" Adam asked bluntly. "She doesn't look any different to me now that I know her name."

James sighed, suddenly understanding why Mercy had been having such a hard time. "Adam, Riddle was Voldemort's family name." Adam considered that, and shrugged. 

"So what? Lisa here is a Malfoy, and none of you look at her like she's a basilisk." Adam said pointedly.

James added his bit. "She's a first year just like us, which means she's eleven. I believe the War ended before any of us were even born. So how can you treat her any differently than Lisa?" He looked at Lisa then. "How you can say anything is beyond me. In fact you should be sympathizing with her."

Emma Weasley was torn between remembering Charlie and Percy, killed in the final assault on Voldemort's stronghold at the end of the war, and their words. The group's discomfort was set aside as Madame Pomfrey and Ginny Potter came up with Daniel. James and Rose stood to the side with Mercy, and after a long second, Melissa and Hangeld joined them. A few seconds later, the rest of the first year Gryffindors moved to join them, and they formed a protective circle around Mercy. Madame Pomfrey started checking Crabbe as Ginny looked over Michael Dunsutter. 

Dunsutter's injuries were merely scratches and a few bruises, and Ginny decided his healing could wait until they reached the Hospital wing. Albus Dumbledore came walking up, his face somber as he took in the scene. He looked at the group standing there, and his eyes sharpened as he noted Mercy peering around them, but still protected by them all. He looked at Prefect Moore. "An explanation would be nice Mr. Moore." He said calmly.

"Sir, we were up there," said the older boy, indicating the slight rise and the trees. "when we saw these two sneaking up on Miss Riddle here." Ginny jerked at the name, and turned to stare at Mercy. She looked at her daughter, and Tiffany shook her head. Mouthing "later", Tiffany returned her attention to Dumbledore and Prefect Moore. "We were not able to interfere before Mr. Crabbe there cast the "Total body bind" on Miss Riddle, and the other boy, who's name I do not know, cast another spell on her. When we reached the area, Mr. Crabbe had that knife and was cutting at Miss Riddle." He indicated the knife still lying where Martin had dropped it. "At that point Sir, I am not quite sure what happened, as it did happen in two places, and very quickly."

James stepped forward, and spoke. "Sir, I was the first one here, and I saw him cutting at that girl there. I did not know if he was cutting her, or just her things, and I felt that waiting to ask might be a bad idea. I tackled him from behind, and took the knife away from him. I then attempted to persuade Crabbe that doing this again might be a Very Bad Idea." The capital letters in his last three words were clearly audible. Albus Dumbledore looked over his glasses at James, and looked at Madame Pomfrey, asking about Crabbe's injuries.

"He has two broken ribs, from where he was tackled, a dislocated jaw, a broken nose, and a broken elbow." She recited. "The elbow is the worst, and he'll be in the hospital wing overnight. The other boy will be fine in an hour." Dumbledore looked at him.

"What happened to him?" Albus asked. Tiffany winced, and began blushing even as she admitted doing the damage to him. Albus raised an eyebrow and inquired as to why.

As Tiffany struggled to find an answer that didn't make her sound like a berserker, James stepped in. "Sir, it was an unforeseen side effect of the Soulbond." James looked at the students who had been gathering since Prefect Moore had been talking, knowing by the rushing staff members that something different was going on. He sighed, and continued. "I have a bit of a temper that I can keep mostly under control, but Tiffany was not expecting it, and she might have gotten a little carried away." Dumbledore looked at Dunsutter's face, which looked as if an angry wildcat had attacked him, and agreed in a dry tone that she might have gotten carried away indeed. James faced the Headmaster and spoke again. "This is entirely my fault Sir. Tiffany would not have done anything like this, if it were not for the Soulbond. I am to blame for her actions."

Albus looked at the group still clustered around Mercy, and the two boys being taken to the Hospital Wing. He looked around at the other students and suggested to them that they find another place to be. When the last of them was out of earshot, Albus turned to James. "You used skills taught to you to fight a dark wizard on a couple of bullies?" Dumbledore's tone was more disapproving than angry, and James flushed. 

His voice was firm though, as he answered the Headmaster. "Sir, What is the difference in evil? This act here was as evil as anything the Patient Child can do, if not as extreme. Little evils, big evils, it's all evil, and should not be tolerated." James turned to his friends and gently drew Mercy out of the group. "Melissa tells me that there is not a violent or evil thought in her, and that she may be the best person in this school, judging by her emotions. To allow Crabbe to finish what he was doing, or to allow him to do it again later would make me no better than the Patient Child."

Albus Dumbledore considered James's words and suddenly realized why Robert and James Evans were willing to go so far in protecting people. Most people see the world in shades of gray, allowing small wrongs to pass. James and Robert saw the world in black and white, making no distinctions between various levels of wrong. This insight into the Evans did not make Albus happy, as he thought about all the things that could happen if James continued to allow that attitude free rein.

Support for James came from the last person Dumbledore expected to be in favor of hurting people. "I have to agree. From her emotions and observed actions since the beginning of the year, I would say they have been hurting her from the beginning, and it had to stop." Albus regarded Melissa as he wondered what she's seen in Mercy's emotions that made an Xavier, one of a clan famed for their healing skills and pacifist natures, willing to condone violence, and even support it. One by one, the other Gryffindors added their support, although Emma and Daniel were hesitant. Albus understood that, as they had lost more family to Voldemort than the others. That they were willing to speak up at all spoke volumes about their personal integrity. Professor Dumbledore looked at Prefect Moore then. 

"Mr. Moore, you will escort Mr. Evans and Miss. Potter to the Gryffindor common room and insure that they stay there until I send for them. I will have meals sent up if it takes that long." Before Prefect Moore could say anything, James spoke to Dumbledore.

"Sir, what about Mercy? If she goes back to Slytherin, they will only continue their assaults on her. Since she wasn't at the Sorting Ceremony, she was not sorted into Slytherin, was she?" Dumbledore agreed that she had not been sorted. James then asked, "why couldn't she be one of us then? In Gryffindor at least, she will not be picked on like this, and Tiffany and I will take care of her." Albus Dumbledore looked pointedly at the still unconscious Martin Crabbe, now being carried to the hospital wing for treatment.

"You might take care of her, but how many more students will join Mr. Crabbe?" asked Professor Dumbledore sharply.

James grinned mirthlessly, and looked up the hill, where several dozen students stood around watching from just out of earshot. "Sir, once the rumours start flying about what happened here, I don't think anyone will touch Mercy again, and certainly not if she's with us." Albus Dumbledore looked at James again, and saw the coldly pragmatic look in his eyes that he got anytime he was talking about the prophecy. Professor Dumbledore was suddenly certain that James had not 'lost it', and that he had deliberately hurt Crabbe that way, just to get this affect. He was correct about one thing though. When word of what had happened here got around, nobody would come near Mercy, James or Tiffany. Only time would tell if that was a good thing or not.

Albus looked at the girl he had cared for since her birth, and then at the Gryffindors standing around her. "Miss Riddle, would you care to join the first year Gryffindors?" No one at Hogwarts knew that Dumbledore had been responsible for Mercy, and both he and Mercy wanted it that way. Mercy looked at the people around her, noticing the eyes that were older than the physical ages suggested, and looked back at Dumbledore.

"No Professor, I think I should let the Sorting Hat do its job. Maybe it will find a place for me." Said Mercy quietly. Dumbledore nodded, but then his feelings for Mercy got the better of him.

"That is your choice, but until I can have the hat sort you, I suggest you spend a bit of time with these people, as I will have to do something about Slytherin, since you have not mentioned anything to anyone about what is going on in that house."

Albus Dumbledore turned back to Prefect Moore. "Mr. Moore, I am holding responsible for all three of them. Take them off now, and I will send for you when I want them." Prefect Moore started towards Gryffindor, with James, Rose, Tiffany and Mercy following him. 

After a split second of looking at each other, the rest of the first year Gryffindors followed them. James looked back and saw them. He grinned at them, and made a hurry up motion at them. Using the links, the two Evans and Tiffany fell in around Mercy like an honor guard, and the rest of the Gryffindors joined them. Mercy however, looked so embarrassed that Tiffany and Rose moved up beside her, and each of them took one of her hands. Mercy smiled shyly at them, and the parade walked to the Gryffindor common room like that.

In the common room, it was obvious that the story had already gotten there by the silence that clamped down on the room when they came in. James looked around and then an idea hit him, or Tiffany, not that they could tell the difference anymore. They looked at each other, and after a quick consult with Rose, James stood up from his favorite chair and faced the other Gryffindors. "You might as well hear it from me, so ask the questions. We have nothing to hide about what happened."

A second year they didn't know by name looked at James. "Did you really kill him?"

James's eyebrows jumped at that. "No. I did break several bones, and dislocated his jaw, but like I told him, I didn't even get all that violent." Everybody stared at him.

Emma's oldest brother Robert Weasley, who was a fifth year, looked at Emma. "Your Yank has a different idea of violence than we do I think. Multiple broken bones and dislocations sound very violent to me."

James looked at him, and then swept the crowd with his eyes, looking at each one of them. His reply stunned almost everyone, for two reasons. "As I told Mr. Crabbe, violent would be breaking half of the 216 bones in his body one at a time, which is what I am going to do to the next person to mistreat my friend Mercy Riddle."

The common room fell as silent as a tomb when James was done speaking. Everyone turned to look at the young girl standing with them for the first time. Mercy, feeling all those eyes on her, shrank back into the circle of first years, and they closed ranks around her, to shield her from those eyes. James moved up, and took a deep breath, assuming a balanced position. "Does anyone have a problem with My Friend?" Again, the capital letters were clearly audible. 

A sixth year student moved up. "Is she one of those Riddles?" The contempt that laced his voice was just as plain as James's letters had been just a minute ago. James thought about the best way to answer that, when Rose took it out of his hands.

"Yes she is. So what? Lisa is one of those Malfoys, but she has been nothing but a credit to Gryffindor from day one. In addition, if anyone in this room had any right to complain about Mercy, it would be these people here, who's families spearheaded the War. Tiffany, do you have a problem with Mercy?" When Rose got a negative answer, she asked the rest of the first year students one by one. At the end, she turned to the rest of the Gryffindors. "We support Mercy. I would suggest you at least give her the same chance you gave Lisa, and find out who she is before you jump on her for who her parents were."

Prefect Moore moved forward then, and the older Gryffindors moved over to a corner, and discussed the whole situation in low tones. Chimera sat down with Mercy and talked with her, while the older students debated.

Mercy's story was enough to chill the blood, and more than one of the first years shivered as she told them how Voldemort had used her mother as a broodmare to bear his child, and the reason he did so. Only the end of the war before Tom Riddle's plans could be carried out had saved Mercy, although nothing could be done for her mother. She told them of her upbringing in a muggle house that had a wizard child, and the boarding school she had gone to until receiving the Hogwarts letter. She also told them that she had avoided the Sorting Ceremony, trying to hide her family name, and that Professor Dumbledore had put her in Slytherin, hoping that her family name might protect her better in that house than in the others. What Dumbledore had not counted on, was the number of families that had lost people in the War. Most of them were Death Eaters, but they had still been lost to their families, and the students had started taking it out on Mercy.

James thought about it, and his eyes narrowed suddenly. "Why didn't you just hex one or two? That would have ended the torment quickly."

Mercy looked at him, and her eyes were every bit as determined as James's could be. "I will not do violence, to anybody for any reason. Not for this, not for anything." The group stared at her.

James was very impressed. "You held to that despite everything they were doing to you?" James was reevaluating Mercy in the light of her vow. Prefect Moore had come up in time to hear the last exchange. Having been friends with Prefect Grey for nearly twelve years, he knew all about the things that could go on inside the Slytherin House doors, where the rest of Hogwarts didn't go. He shuddered as he thought of a pacifist in that house. Having the family she did would have only made it worse.

Prefect Moore sat down with the first year students. "We have decided to give Mercy the same chance we gave Lisa; we will not bother her, or help her, until we see what type of person she is."

James shook his head. "You know, between Rose's Sight, and Melissa's Empathy, we know more about people than anybody except maybe the sorting hat. You could just trust us."

Prefect Moore nodded slowly. "Those of us that know about the project do trust you, and it was our arguments that swayed the others to your point of view." He lowered his voice. "You might consider letting the House in on your project."

James stiffened. "No way." He looked at Prefect Moore. "Gryffindors may be brave, but this many people couldn't keep a secret if their lives depended on it."

Prefect Moore disagreed with him. "Professor Dumbledore and the rest of the Order of the Phoenix kept it a secret, and they had nearly twice as many members."

_"James, we could use help. Not to mention it would be easier to do the things we have to do, if we had more people." _James turned to look at Rose. Before he could say anything, Tiffany joined in and the three of them had a long silent debate. Finally, James threw his hands up and spoke aloud. "Look, you lot have agreed to let me lead, and I'm saying no. So quit arguing with me."

Emma was looking at the three of them. "You know, it would be nice to be able to hear what you're saying, so we would know what the argument is about."

James turned to Emma and was about to say something, when he froze. He looked at Rose, and both of them looked at Tiffany. Once again, they shared a long look. While they were lost in their private talk, Tiffany pulled her wand out, pointed it at Melissa and cast a spell. Melissa flinched but then relaxed as she recognized the spell as an aura-scanning spell. The three of them were still ignoring everyone when the House started heading out of the common room for dinner, and James looked at the rest of the first years long enough to tell them to watch after Mercy at dinner.

"Like you need to tell us that." Emma snorted. "Come on Mercy, let's show you how to ignore Slymies." The entire group except Rose, Tiffany and James headed for the exit. Prefect Moore was sitting back and watching the trio left behind. They spoke not a word, but their actions told the story. They were arguing fiercely about something. James was on one side of the argument, and the two girls on the other. The other two looked at whoever was speaking, hands gestured and in every way, they looked liked three people debating something. Prefect Moore was just on the verge of asking what was going on when James spoke aloud. 

"Fine, we'll ask the others if they want to do it. If they say yes, we'll do it Saturday. If they say no, you two will drop it. Period."

Tiffany nodded her agreement, while Rose watched James. "I think Brother mine, that I will tell them about this. I think you might put a very negative spin on it."

James shrugged. "You can tell them anyway you want, as long as you cover the disadvantages as well."

Prefect Moore broke in. "Pardon me, but would somebody kindly fill me in on what you're been arguing about for the last two hours?"

Tiffany grinned at him. "Nothing much. Emma's comment about being able to hear the links just reminded me that these two have a spell to allow that. It's the same one they used to be able to talk to each other in the first place." Prefect Moore froze as he thought about the implications of that. Having the Eight able to talk at any time and any distance sounded too good to be true, and he looked up at James.

"What's the catch? I assume there has to be one, or you would be all for this." James raised an eyebrow, and smiled sourly.

"Two catches actually, one Tiffany and I have already found, and the other is temporary, but significant." He looked at Moore and Rose. "This first one you don't say anything about, until Tiffany and I figure out what to do about it." He waited for their agreement, and then told them about Tiffany seeing Adam in his boxers. Tiffany was blushing during the story and Rose grinned at her. "The second problem is a bit more important. While two or more people are linked with this spell, they cannot get more than a few miles apart, or they both start feeling nausea and headaches. What happens after that, we don't know, because we've never pushed it further."

Prefect Moore blinked. "So, if you do this, all of you would have to be within what, ten kilometers of each other or so?"

James made a waggling motion with his hand. "A little more, if you can take the headache. It becomes a serious migraine at about" James converted miles to kilometers and continued. "15 kilometers. Staying within about 12 kilometers usually keeps the pains down to an acceptable level." Prefect Moore thought about that.

"I can see some problems with it. What about holidays?" He asked. "Everybody is going to want to go home, and I don't think you all live close enough for that."

James frowned. "The summers are easy, we'll be doing some training then, and together anyway. Christmas holiday is a bit tougher."

"Not if we get everyone to stay here for the Holidays." Said Tiffany.

James considered that, but Rose shook her head. "And when were you planning on letting us see our families?"  Tiffany frowned and admitted she hadn't thought about that.

Prefect Moore was still thinking about the first implication. "Wait, you and Rose can't see what each other sees, can you? If you can't, then that should not be a problem. The distance thing is going to be a problem though."

Tiffany was thinking about something else. "James, what would happen if I cast that spell on Prefect Moore and Mercy?"

James stared at her, and thought. "You can't. The spell has to be cast by the people involved in it. However, even if they cast it on themselves, I'm not sure. We designed it to affect two people that already had a bond of sorts, and I don't know what it'll do to two people without any kind of a bond."

As they talked the rest of Chimera and Gryffindor came back from dinner. Rose pulled them over to one side and told them about the spell, and what it could do. She also told them about the problems with the spell. When she was done, she told them that they had until Saturday morning to decide what they were going to do. Rose went back to James, and they began working on the spell, changing it to encompass more than two people. 

Late that evening Albus Dumbledore sent for James Tiffany, Prefect Moore and Mercy.  When they arrived in his Office, Dunsutter and Crabbe were already there with Prefect Grey.  Albus Dumbledore waited until they lined up with the other three, and spoke.  "I have made my decision and this is what is going to happen.  Mr. Dunsutter, Mr. Crabbe, you two have detention every Tuesday and Thursday until the end of school.  You have also cost your house 500 points.  Miss Riddle, you will sit under the Sorting Hat, and abide by its decision.  Miss Potter, Because of the circumstances of what you did, you have just 2 detentions, and a loss of 10 points.  Mr. Evans, you have detention every Friday night until the end of school.  You have also cost your house 250 points."  The Headmaster looked at all the students.  "Does anyone have any questions?"

Martin Crabbe started to say something, but Dumbledore cut him off.  "If you're going to ask why Mr. Evans's punishment is so much lighter than yours, it's because he was trying to help out a classmate.  He is not being punished for that, but for going too far in helping her."  He looked at James.  "I will say Mr. Evans, that if you ever do something like this again, you had better be able to prove that whoever you do it to was causing as much physical damage as you do to them, or you will be expelled.  Is that clear?"  James agreed, and Dumbledore had them all leave except Mercy, who came out a few minutes later.

She smiled at James.  "I'm a Ravenclaw."

James smiled back, and looked around before hugging her.  "If you ever need us, for anything, we'll be here for you."  James whispered it low in her ear, and Mercy smiled again.

"That's a good thing, because I'm supposed to go back to Gryffindor with you tonight." she said.  The Gryffindors headed back upstairs to tell the rest of the first years what had happened, until Mercy suddenly stopped on the stairs.  "Why are we hurrying?  They already know what happened, don't they James?"  The grin on James's face as the rest were reminded about his bond with Rose was very much on the smirk side.

Prefect Moore watched the group over the next few days, and he was certain they were going to cast the spirit-binding spell.

This left him with a dilemma. On the one hand, he wanted to record this entire sequence of events. On the other hand, James and Rose would be casting a spell that they had admitted was not made for what they were going to use it for. This was something Professor Dumbledore should know about. Of course, if he told the Headmaster, James would not allow him anywhere near the group again. Finally, he decided that he'd stay quiet. After all, the spell had not hurt the two of them when they cast it, and even if something went wrong, there were enough people here at Hogwarts to fix it. (Prefect Moore was aware he was making justifications, and weak ones at that, but here was history in the making that would put his name high on the Historians Merit List.)

Saturday morning, as they headed out to breakfast, Emma spoke quietly to Rose. "We want to do it."

Rose nodded as she passed the information to James, and got his answer. "James says that we're to meet by the main entrance after breakfast."

Breakfast was a quiet meal, everyone busy with their own thoughts about what they were about to do. After the meal was over, James got Prefect Moore and Mercy, and joined the rest of his friends outside. He looked at them, measuring them, and their commitment to what they were going to do.

"Last chance to back out" he said quietly, "nobody will hold it against you." He looked at them all again, but nobody moved. He turned to Hangeld. "Would you ask your Father if we can borrow his cabin for a couple of hours?" James grinned as he handed Hangeld a package he'd had under his robes. "If he seems less than eager, give him these, and he should change his mind."

Hangeld looked at the package suspiciously. "It's not wiggling, and it's not big enough to be a dragon egg, so what is it?"

James just looked innocent. "It's a gift, from the Montana mountains. It should be right up your father's alley." Rose grinned suddenly. She sent a quick warning to James. "Oh yes. As Rose has reminded me, Tell your dad to wear heavy gloves when he opens that pouch."

Hangeld headed for his Father's cabin carrying the pouch to one side. The rest of the group looked at James. Emma said, "I have been asked to let you know that we do have a couple of questions about this. First, what happens if something goes wrong?"

James sighed. "Rose and I have been thinking about that, and the honest answer is we don't know. The spell worked for us the first time, and this version of it is simply building on what we already have. Doing it that way, instead of creating a whole new link, allowed us to keep most of the spell that we know works, and build on it." James gestured at Prefect Moore and Mercy as he continued. "These two will be there if something goes completely wrong and we all turn into purple hippos or something."

Melissa caught a strange mix of embarrassment and humour coming from the trio as he mentioned hippos, and she interrupted James. "Have you turned into purple hippos before?" 

Rose and James flushed with remembered embarrassment as Tiffany giggled. Tiffany answered the question. "Yes they did, about a year ago." The group looked at the red-faced twins.

"Long story," said Rose, "and I believe you had some questions about today, don't you?"

Emma was grinning as she pictured the scene, but she asked the next question anyway. "If something happens later, can one or more of us be released from the link?"

Tiffany nodded. "I made sure of that. Two of us trapped in a link forever is enough." James looked at her as her bitter tone registered. She looked back at him and smiled. "I wouldn't trade the Soulbond for anything now, but you have to admit we were trapped into it." James shrugged.

"I knew there was a very good chance it would be me from the start. I wish I could have warned you, but we had no idea which of you it would be." He continued the answer for Tiffany. "Anyone can be released at anytime, but you had better be sure about wanting out. Once you're out, you can't reform the link with the same people, unless they all drop the link, and you all start over from scratch." James was standing between Rose and Tiffany, and Lisa noted with amusement that the Soulbonded were holding hands again. They continued to answer questions until Hangeld came back and said that Hagrid was going to let them use the cabin.

"What was in that pouch anyway? He opened it up, looked inside, and left in a rush. He was heading for the Forbidden Forest." Hangeld asked.

James and Rose grinned as they looked at each other. They turned identical innocent looks on Hangeld, and chorused, "It's will be a surprise. We wouldn't want to ruin Hagrid's surprise for him would we?"

Hangeld rolled his eyes, and Lisa had to laugh. When Hangeld turned an inquiring eye her way, she said, "Rose told me that rolling eyes was common around James, and now it appears we're all going to be looking like Mad-Eye Moody around both of them." Smiles lit the group's faces, even James and Rose joining the amusement.

At Hagrid's cabin, they closed and locked the door, and moved everything out of the way, so that they would have room for all of them to stand around in a circle. Rose passed out sheets with each person's part of the spell on it and James and Tiffany walked them through it while Rose set up the physical components they would be using. Prefect Moore was fascinated by the change that came over the twins as they worked. The jokes and humour disappeared and they focused completely on the task. Tiffany was listening to Emma recite her part of the spell, as James finished with Adam. Rose had the cauldron bubbling and everything ready, and James helped her set the cauldron down in the middle of the floor.

Tiffany indicated her satisfaction with Emma's reciting, and the group gathered in a circle around the simmering potion. James added something to the potion, and started his part. At the same time, Tiffany added something else to the potion, and started her part. The potion started glowing, and the twins put some more ingredients in the potion, which was Emma and Hangeld's cue to start their chanting. Lisa and Adam started next, and then Rose and Melissa. Daniel was the last one, and as he started chanting, James threw the last ingredient into the pot. As the nine people continued their chanting, the potion turned silver, and began glowing.

The glow continued to get brighter and began to expand, flowing out of the cauldron like a mist. The mist extended fingers to each of the people in the circle, and started to cover each of them. By the time each of them was covered by the mist, it had turned a pure white, so bright that Prefect Moore and Mercy, sitting forgotten in the corner had to turn their heads away.

The chanting came to an abrupt stop, as if all of them lost their voices, and the glow brightened to the point that the cabin was lit up like the sun had come for a visit. The glow didn't fade; it disappeared in the blink of an eye. Prefect Moore and Mercy blinked trying to grow accustomed to the normal light again. They looked at the group, the half they could see the faces of had far away looks on them, as if they listened to something only they could hear Mercy thought. She grinned as she realized they were hearing things no one else could hear.

Eight voices spoke as one, happy, triumphant. "It worked." 

The single low voice that spoke after that was a shock, that brought everyone to stare at the speaker. "Not for me it didn't"

Everybody turned to look at the person that had spoken, and Daniel Creevy looked back at them.


	9. Aftermath and changes

Aftermaths  
  
For more than three hours, the group went over the spell. Finally, James stopped them. "There is nothing wrong with the spell that we can find. We're going to have to take this to somebody that might be able to find what went wrong and how to fix it."  
  
"James we both know nothing went wrong. The prophecy says that Eight will become one, and we are eight." Rose paused and considered her brother carefully. "You just don't want to be the one to tell Daniel he's not part of the Prophecy after all."  
  
"Tell you what Sister mine, you tell me how to explain to Daniel that we've known for nearly a month that he isn't one of us, and we didn't tell him, and I'll do it." James waited for a response, but Rose shrugged. "Rose, remind me of this, next time we start putting things off again."  
  
Emma Weasley was staring at them again. "I thought we did this so we could hear the arguments you three were having."  
  
James just looked at her. He reached with the new link he could feel in the back of head. "We did Emma, but the Soulbond and the twinbond are on what you might call different channels. When we talk about anything to do with the Project, we'll use this one."  
  
At James's first words, the five members of Chimera that had never had anyone speak inside their head stiffened. James grinned at them, and spoke aloud. "You get used to it rather quickly. In a week, you'll use the link as naturally as you talk."  
  
For the next hour, they cleaned Hagrid's cabin, leaving it a lot cleaner than when they arrived. As they cleaned, James and Rose gave them advise on using the link. The group practiced using the link, finding that a person's mental 'voice' didn't sound exactly like their physical one. They did find one problem James and Rose couldn't help them with. They only had one person in the twinbond, and that was true of the Soulbond as well. Eight people in one link though, tended to make talking annoying, as everyone would hear everything said, even if it was meant to be private.  
  
Lisa was the first to figure out how to talk to just one person down the link, and she showed the others. "We're going to have to come up with new words," She said dryly, as she tried to explain it. "I mean, we're not really talking to each other right now, but I don't know how to put it any better."  
  
Everybody felt the twin's amusement at some private thought. The twins used the link to tell the rest about their attempts to create a new vocabulary to describe what they were doing.  
  
Hangeld was more interested in how they sent an emotion through the link. That was easily explained, and soon they were all trying it.  
  
Mercy and Daniel were still going over the spell, hoping to find anything that would account for Daniel not being linked with the rest, and Prefect Moore was fascinated by the link. He would pull one person at a time to the side and ask them to describe the entire experience. Prefect Moore was getting increasingly frustrated as time went by, as none of them could really explain what it felt like to be linked like that.  
  
"Give it up," said Rose finally. "James and I have been trying to explain our link to our parents for nearly three years now, and we still don't have the words. You really have to experience it to understand it."  
  
Moore frowned and then blinked. He sat down, and read over his notes carefully, examining the spell. He looked up and directed his next question at the twins. "What would happen if I tried the link spell with someone?"  
  
Tiffany answered that. "We're not really sure. The spell you hold uses a link of some type that is already in place, and merely expands on it. Without a pre-existing link, James doesn't think it would work."  
  
"What about changing the spell, to create the link?" he asked next. James and Rose sat down and the rest of the new link could feel their thoughts, but not quite touch them, as they discussed the possibility.  
  
James finally looked up, and his face was serious. "It might be possible, but what for? We did this for a reason, and I would hope you have a good reason also."  
  
"I do. The prefects have been discussing the project amongst ourselves, and we want to offer to help. You may be the ones that have to defeat the Patient Child, but we don't believe he'll work alone, do you?" Prefect Moore was watching James, knowing that he would make the final decision.  
  
James turned to the rest of the group. What do you think? He's right that we believe there will be others with the enemy, and having somebody to keep them off our backs would nice."  
  
"If they're willing, I don't see why not." said Emma. "After all, it's not as though it's going to hurt us."  
  
Adam agreed. "Although, I would make the spell you give them, one we can reverse, in case something goes wrong down the line somewhere."  
  
Lisa's comment caused a few laughs. "What could it hurt James? Wouldn't it be another of those 'Calculated Risks' you're so fond of?"  
  
"Not to mention, that since they know what we face, if we don't let them help us, they might try to work on their own." Hangeld was looking off into space as he followed his thinking to the end. "They are Gryffindors, and being kept out of something this big would not sit well I think. We could find ourselves working at cross purposes with people that should be our allies."  
  
James listened to all the views and turned back to Prefect Moore. "We're going to have to work on the spell, and we need to talk to all of you first. I have two conditions before I give you the spell. I won't go into them now, but I will need total agreement before we do this." He looked at his watch. "Right now, it's nearly lunch, and we need to talk to Professor McGonagall."  
  
The group headed back to the castle, and went to lunch. As they walked in, two Hufflepuffs were coming out. They saw James and Tiffany, and suddenly turned around and went the other way. James and Tiffany looked at each other and shrugged, not understanding what it was all about. Rose frowned, thinking about something that had been nagging at the back of her head all week. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, and it was annoying. At lunch, the group lingered, waiting for Professor McGonagall to finish eating. When she got up to go, Prefect Moore met her at the door, and they talked for a few minutes. Prefect Moore came back to the group and told then that the Professor would see them in a few minutes.  
  
Prefect Moore led the group to Professor McGonagall's door and knocked. She told them to enter, and the group trooped inside. The Gryffindor house head looked at them expressionlessly. James stood up and explained what they had done, what had been planned, and what had happened. He showed her the spell, and the adaptation that they had used today. When he was finished, Professor McGonagall raised one eyebrow slowly.  
  
"Let me see if I have my understanding of this matter correct. You modified an unknown spell, cast it on yourselves with no testing, and now that it went wrong, you want me to fix it. Is that correct?" The Professor's tone was quite cold.  
  
James shook his head. "Not exactly unknown Professor. Rose and I used the spell once before, and it worked perfectly. All we changed this time was the number of people, and it should have worked. It did work, for everyone but Daniel. What we want to know is how Daniel is different, and how we make it work for him."  
  
Professor McGonagall looked over the spell and the adaptation in silence. When she was done, she asked several searching questions about the creation of the spell, which James and Rose answered. When she was done, she looked up. "All of you share the link James and Rose used to have now, is that correct?"  
  
James grinned as he looked at the Eight. A quick thought and they started. James: "Well, it's not" Tiffany: "quite as good" Rose: "as their Soulbond" Melissa: "but it should" Lisa: "be very effective" Adam: "when we start" Hangeld: "Fighting the Patient" Emma: "Child's unlinked forces"  
  
Professor McGonagall watched the round robin sentence with barely a raised eyebrow. "That is fairly interesting. It will take some getting used to I imagine. I cannot tell what went wrong for Mr. Creevey, and I think the Headmaster needs to see this anyway. Prefect Moore, would you bring this group to the Headmaster's office after dinner please?" Prefect Moore agreed, and the group left to continue working with the link.  
  
Outside, the group continued to practice with the link. James and Rose showed them how to send a mental image to somebody, and how to use the link to move at the same time. By the time dinner came, the group was practicing talking to just one person, and Prefect Moore had to call them twice to get anyone's attention. When he did finally get Emma's attention, he was slightly unnerved when all eight heads looked at him at the same time. "That's very spooky you know." He said.  
  
James grinned at him. He sent a few words to the rest of them, and spoke to Prefect Moore. "No, that's just odd, this is spooky." As he spoke, the whole group moved as one, falling into a line and heading for the castle arms and legs swinging in unison without a word being spoken aloud. Prefect Moore watched, and he had to agree with James. The line had become a group by the time they got to the castle, and they went to dinner like any other group of students.  
  
James and the rest of the first years had always sat at the end of the table furthest from the Teacher's table, and since the Gryffindor table was a bit bigger than needed this meant there was usually a few chairs empty between them and the rest of the students. Prefect Moore and Mercy had taken to sitting with them, and tonight they were a taken back by the change in the group. The eight linked students didn't speak to each other, although it was easy to see when they were talking to somebody. The person speaking and the person being spoken to would get an absent look on their face until they were done. Figuring out whom they were talking to was also easy; as most of them had a tendency to look at the person, they'd been talking to when they were finished talking to them.  
  
Daniel put up with it for most of dinner, but finally, he said something. "Hey, if you bloody mind readers don't mind, there are a few of us left that can't hear you. How about talking to us also?" Eight people looked at him at the same time.  
  
"He's right, we're being rude, as if we were speaking in a language nobody else knew." Hangeld said, and for the rest of the meal, they tried to use their voices to talk. After the meal, Prefect Moore took them to the Gargoyle that guarded the door to Professor Dumbledore's office, led them up the stairs behind it. He knocked on the door, and when the Headmaster bid them enter, they went inside. Professor McGonagall and Professor Flick were there, and there were enough chairs for everyone. After everyone was seated, the three Professors began interrogating James and Rose about the original spell. When they were done with that, they interrogated all the students that had helped adapt the spell. James, Rose and Tiffany had done the adaptation, and Melissa and Lisa had supplied the two spells they had adapted. Explaining the whole thing took nearly two hours, and when they were done, the three Professors went over the spell and all the notes again.  
  
When they finished, the two Househeads went out, and Professor Dumbledore looked at the students left. He started to send Prefect Moore and Mercy away, but James told him not to bother, as they knew all about the project. Albus Dumbledore looked at James. "How many people know about this thing now?"  
  
James frowned. "Total, or just here at Hogwarts?" Albus indicated the school. "You, the four Househeads, all the Gryffindor Prefects and all the first year Gryffindors." he thought for a minute, and came up with the number. "Twenty-one people in all Sir."  
  
Dumbledore frowned, and added three more that James had forgotten about. "Madam Pomfrey, and both Professors Potter as well."  
  
James rolled his eyes. "We might as well take out an ad, asking for more people."  
  
Professor Dumbledore sighed. "I think I know why the spell excluded you Daniel." Daniel looked up, and studied the expression on the Headmaster's face. "I wish it was something that we could fix, but it is not. I believe that these are the Eight of the Prophecy." Daniel paled, looking around at the others.  
  
"But, you all told me I was the eighth one." He protested. "I've been studying and everything." Daniel looked around at the eight students who the spell had worked for and his face fell. "I see." He said softly. "I'm just not good enough."  
  
James looked at him, and his eyes were hard. "Nobody but you has said that yet, and I am not going to take anything from you. We're already planning on letting Prefect Moore and a couple of others use the spell, and there is no reason you can't join them."  
  
Daniel didn't say anything, and after a minute, Professor Dumbledore spoke again. "Prefect Moore and who are going to use this spell?" James shrugged.  
  
"I'm not sure yet. He hasn't brought them to us, and Rose, Melissa and I will have to pass them before I allow anyone to use it again, plus I have to change the spell a bit."  
  
Albus Dumbledore looked at James over his glasses. "If you don't mind, I'd like to sit and watch that. Your talents for modifying spells are impressive, and I would like to see them in action." James grinned and started explaining what the new spell would do, and how they would change it. After about a minute, he turned to Prefect Moore.  
  
"I can talk to Rose as I need to, why don't you get the other people you want in your link, and go with Rose and Melissa. Talk to them, and we'll make our decision about your link." Prefect Moore, Mercy and Daniel got up, along with the rest of Chimera except Tiffany. James looked at them, and Hangeld answered the unspoken question.  
  
"We've all seen you and Tiffany working, and you'll never notice if we're here or not. We can go work with the link somewhere else." James grinned, and turned back to Dumbledore. He was back in the discussion before the group cleared the door. James, Tiffany and Professor Dumbledore finished adapting the main part of the spell, and James began creating the change that would allow the Eight to take the link away.  
  
Professor Dumbledore figured out what he was doing quickly. "Do you really think that is something you're going to need?"  
  
James stopped and looked at the Headmaster. "I hope not. If everything goes well," he said soberly, "nobody will ever know we can do this. However, I would rather be able to do it, and not have to break a link, than need to stop a link and not be able to." he shrugged, looking Professor Dumbledore in the eye. "Uncle Alexander calls it Paranoia 101, and says that even noids have enemies."  
  
James, we have the people that want to link or work with us, because not all of them want to link. Are you nearly done so you can talk to them?" James heard two things in that quickly delivered statement.  
  
His voice would have fooled anybody but his Sister. "Rose, how many people do you have with you? I did hear you say 'not all of them' didn't I?" James waited for an answer. After a couple of minutes, he realized Rose wasn't going to answer him, and looked at Professor Dumbledore. "I'm going to have to go, Professor. My sister is UTS again." James got up, and headed out the door leaving Tiffany to discuss the spell with Albus.  
  
Professor Dumbledore looked at Tiffany, and slowly raised one eyebrow. "His sister is what?"  
  
"UTS" Tiffany grinned at she responded to his look. "It means Up To Something Sir. I've been trying to figure out when those two aren't up to something."  
  
While the Headmaster and Tiffany had a quiet smile at the twin's expense, the male half of the duo was climbing the stairs to the fifth floor. James didn't know why they chose to meet on the fifth floor, but it didn't really matter to him. He was more interested in what Rose was hiding. James, just hear us out before you do anything rash ok?" Rose sounded nervous in his head.  
  
James stopped and sat with his back against a wall. "If you're this worried about it, I'm going to sit here until you tell me what you've been up to that makes you so nervous."  
  
"It's very simple. Melissa and I have been quietly recruiting a few people that we need for our Project." said Rose quickly. "We've both checked them, Empathy and Sight, and they are all safe for us until the war begins. They're not all safe, but we are."  
  
"I told you to do that I think, or at least didn't say anything when you thought about it. So why are you so nervous?" James was beginning to get nervous now, waiting for whatever Rose was hiding to drop on him. "Just tell me Sister mine, I'm far enough away that you can escape."  
  
"Very funny James." Rose stuck a mental tongue out at him. "There might be a few more people here than you were expecting. I know you were thinking of seven or eight more people helping us. but we have a few more than that."  
  
"Is that it? You've talked to more people than you told me about the Prophecy?" James frowned, thinking about what she had said. You said that you had checked them all with the Sight, and Melissa used her Empathy, so they're all going to be useful. What's the problem? How many more do you have? Fifteen, sixteen?"  
  
"Forty-two with us, and Prefect Moore is still after the five from Slytherin."  
  
Downstairs in Dumbledore's office, Tiffany jumped as anger spiked through James. "James what's the problem? You can trust her with twenty people can't you?" she waited for him to agree and continued. "So if she can collect twenty people without making a mistake, why don't you think she could do forty people with Melissa's help?"  
  
"Actually, Greeneyes, if you had waited you might have noticed that I was not angry anymore. I do trust the Flower child, it just caught me by surprise." James got up from his seat and headed toward the room his sister had gathered her people in. "Although, I would like to hear the logic chain behind you collecting so many people."  
  
Rose gave a mental shrug and explained carefully. "It's fairly simple. This war is going to roll over the entire world, correct? We can only be in one place at a time. Therefore, we create and train 6 teams to watch different areas, and that way, we can concentrate all our efforts on finding and dealing with the Patient Child. We would just run ourselves ragged trying to keep up with everything, everywhere. This is a bit too important to lose simply because we were a bit tired."  
  
"Sister mine, once again, you have shown why you're the smart one." James entered the fifth floor room where Rose was waiting as he sent that and looked at her candidates. He looked around at the people in the room. As he had expected, the majority were Gryffindors, and the rest of the group appeared to be evenly split between Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. "Hello everybody. Give me a couple of minutes to catch up with Rose here, and I'll be right with you." James continued to look over the crowd, as they spoke. "Ok, Rose, explain to me how you managed to look down enough paths with the Sight to collect this many people. I thought you couldn't follow that many paths."  
  
"I didn't. I asked Prefect Moore to recommend one person that would work with us from each House, and then talked to them first. After they passed, I had them recommend another, and then that person recommended one until we had enough for six teams of six." Rose paused, and then continued. "We have thirty-six people willing to link after we prove that the link isn't driving us mad or anything, and a few more that don't want to link to a team, but will work support for us. I did have to promise to take care of them until the war is over though."  
  
James only had one more question for her. "Why are we meeting way up here? Couldn't you find someplace else to meet?"  
  
"Probably, but we need a meeting hall where all the houses can go, and one that is big enough for us all to meet at the same time. Professor Dumbledore said we could use this room, and it has another large advantage. It has another room that only has one door. I thought we could hide that door from anyone that is not one of us and use it for those things we're going to need." Rose's voice dropped a notch, and she was looking at the floor. "Is this ok James?"  
  
"Sister mine, it's more than ok. You are a genius." James matched his words by sweeping Rose off her feet in a hug. Setting her down again he turned to the waiting students. "I assume Rose and Melissa have filled you in on what we're going to be doing here." He watched the crowd at they nodded or murmured an affirmative. "Good. Those of you who are going to link, can start watching the eight of us. We've done the link, and you'll be able to tell. If none of you change your mind, you can link next week." James blinked as the crowd's movement showed him the last person he would have expected here. "Mercy, what are you going to do?"  
  
"I'm going to be the Mediwitch for Hydra." she said calmly. "Somebody has to patch you people up."  
  
James raised an eyebrow. "Who is Hydra?"  
  
The answer came from the doorway behind him. "We're Hydra."  
  
James turned and his face went cold. "Daniel, I know what you and Prefect Moore are doing here, but what are these people doing here?" Standing there in the door with Daniel and the Prefect were four of the first year Slytherins. These four and five others had been the students that had hung Lisa in a frame on the first day of classes.  
  
To James's surprise, Daniel and Mercy stood up for them. Mercy spoke first. "James, remember what I told you about the Cliques in Slytherin? Well, that was one of the things those Cliques made them do. The others did agree with it, and think it was funny, but these four didn't." She took a deep breath and continued softly. "Plus, these four and Prefect Grey were the only Slytherins that did not torment me while I was in their house."  
  
Daniel spoke up with her. "I've been spending a bit of time with them, and I'm going to try to link with them since I didn't get in the first link. Hydra will be Sonya Gebbs, myself and these three, plus Prefect Grey."  
  
James looked around. "It appears that you've all been thinking about this. I assume all the teams have names?"  
  
Rose spoke up again. Yes, each team chose their own name, and we discussed the name we'd like to have for the whole group, if you and Tiffany don't mind."  
  
James cocked his head. "Tiffany and I? Shall I assume that the rest of Chimera knows about this already?"  
  
Rose blushed. "Well, I wanted to have as much done as I could before dropping it on you."  
  
"So, who are we? The whifflebats, or what?" James grinned at the confusion in the crowd, as they tried to figure out what a whifflebats was.  
  
Rose had the groups line up in the teams they would be in. "Hydra you know already. Sonya is going to lead them for now." Sonya Gebbs was a thin girl with light brown hair and matching eyes. James stared at her, and she met his eyes. Most of the first years avoided looking directly at James after the Crabbe killing as the fight was becoming known.  
  
Mercy was the next one, and she was the leader of the support elements, the medics, intelligence, and general helpers that would not be openly fighting. They had named their team Phoenix.  
  
The Dragon team was the only one made of a mix of houses. Debra Valentine of Ravenclaw led three Ravenclaws and three Hufflepuffs.  
  
Ron Stone, a fifth year Ravenclaw led the Ravenclaw house team, which was called Sphinx.  
  
Zachary Moore, the younger brother of Prefect Moore led the Hufflepuff team called Unicorn.  
  
Griffon was the first team of Gryffindors, led by Emma's oldest brother Arthur Weasley.  
  
There was also a Pegasus team from Gryffindor, led by Connor McCloud, a Scotsman with a thick accent.  
  
James looked at the teams and back at Rose and Melissa. "Do you vouch for them all?"  
  
The two girls nodded quietly. James stared at them for a minute, and asked Rose what name they had wanted. She told him, and he turned to the group. "Welcome to Manticore, people." 


	10. Manticore

Manticore

The next week was busy for Chimera as they prepared to link the Manticores.  James and Tiffany were talking to all the recruits while Melissa, Rose and Lisa worked on the wards they would use to hide the little room off the meeting place.  Most of the people had taken to calling their meeting room on the fifth floor Manticore Hall, and the name just kind of stuck.  Hangeld, Adam and Emma were working on strategies and tactics for the upcoming Quidditch tryouts, and all of them were still doing their classes of course.

Thursday after classes James and Rose were in Manticore Hall when they had two visitors.  Emily Kitchen was a 3rd year Ravenclaw.  She was widely acknowledged as the best researcher in Hogwarts and some of her house mates claimed she had read every book in the library.  Jerrick Clearwater was another matter entirely.  Another 3rd year Ravenclaw, he was quiet and had an amazing ability to take the smallest clues and put together a reason for them.  Jerrick and Emily came into Manticore Hall and sat down at the table James and Rose were sitting at.

"We'd like to help you with your efforts." was Jerrick's blunt opening remark.  "When 58 people from all four houses start hanging out together, it arouses some interest.  I did some checking, asked a few questions, and none of them were talking.  At that point, I got Emily involved, and had her check the public records on the ringleaders.  That I assumed were you two.  Three things came to light fairly quickly.  One:  You two have done something to your bond, and extended it to your friends.  Two:  Somebody paid a great deal of money to bring you here from America.  Three:  Both of my parents think the Elric Prophecy is happening now, and you have people that meet almost every line in the Eight."  Jerrick finished speaking and watched the twins carefully.

_"I think we've found the person to lead our intelligence section Rose, if he passes you and Melissa."_  James grinned inwardly as he thought.  Rose had found mediwizards, and everybody else they needed, but none of the Manticores they had so far were particularly good at digging out intelligence, or spying as James bluntly put it.  "Run them through the mill Sister mine, and make sure they understand what we want them for."  James looked at Jerrick and Emily as he spoke to Rose.  Then he got up as Melissa came over and his last words were at Emily.  "I understand why Jerrick wants to work with us, but why do you?"

Emily blinked as she looked at James.  "You are an Evans, from America.  You are about to wage war across the world.  This means you'll be looking into a million different things, and I want to help.  With the Cumulus name behind you, you will be able to get me access to things I could never see on my own." 

James nodded as he thought about what she said, then looked at Jerrick.  "I know you like finding things out, but you could do that without getting involved with us."  He made it a statement, but waited to see what Jerrick would say.

Jerrick took a deep breath, and his response made everything clear.  "My mother is Athena Clearwater."  Even in America the story of Athena Clearwater was known.  Athena had been an Auror during the Voldemort war.  She had gotten pregnant and pulled back to light duty until her child was born.  During a routine visit to the hospital after the birth, Death Eaters had attacked the hospital, trying to kill some fifteen wounded Aurors there.  Athena Clearwater had single-handedly held them off, capturing four and holding the room the Aurors were in until help arrived.  She had paid an awful price for her final stand though, and had burned out her magic.  She lived, but was a squib now.

James bowed slightly to Jerrick.  "If you are half the person your mother is, you'll be one of our best assets."

Friday all the new people received an owl with the things they had to study, and Chimera was up until late in the night preparing Manticore hall for the spells that would be cast the next day.  As they worked, Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore came in the room.  They looked around at the busy students and walked over to James and Rose, who were preparing the final steps for the linking spells to be cast the next day.  "How many spells will your group be casting tomorrow?" asked Dumbledore.

James looked at the ceiling as he thought about it.  "I'm not sure exactly.  Six linking spells, three wards, a couple of illusions, a blood bonding, and a couple more at least."

Professor McGonagall raised one eye at the news of the blood bonding.  "What kind of spell is that?"

James shrugged.  "A minor one actually.  To keep anyone from finding the lab, We're going to tie the doorway's spells into Manticore via blood, and since we are not all blood related, the only way to do that is to use a Shaman spell, and do a clan acceptance on everyone.  That will give everyone a blood tie I can use to tie all the Manticores into the wards."

The two adults stayed a bit longer, and Dumbledore cast a spell that created a fireplace on one wall.  At the request of Mercy and Rose, he also created two bathrooms.  Dumbledore had one more comment before he left.  "I understand the Quidditch tryouts for next year are Sunday, but I have not received the broomsticks that you are supposed to have for those tryouts.  Will they be here in time?"

The members of Chimera that were going to tryout looked at James.  Emma was the first to say anything.  "You said you'd take care of that James, are we going to have our broomsticks in time?"

James nodded.  "They will be delivered Saturday morning.  Professor Dumbledore, when they are, I'd like to have the Quidditch pitch for a couple of hours to practice.  Say Saturday afternoon?  We're going to be fairly busy Saturday morning."

Albus Dumbledore nodded, looking thoughtfully at James.  "Why would you be taking care of everyone's broomsticks?  I would think that getting them from their parents would be easier for them."

James's face went innocent, and he was just a shade too casual with his answer.  "I'm sending ten or twelve owls a week, and sending one more to be copied and sent to their parents asking for the broomsticks was no big deal."

Albus Dumbledore had been a Professor and Headmaster too long to be fooled by any innocent look, no matter how good it was.  He considered James thoughtfully as his mind went over all the possibilities.  He considered James and Robert's intense need to win, and then a stray thought rose up from something he had read about the Evans clan.  "Are your friends going to get the broomsticks they had, or something new?"

James closed his eyes, and then opened them.  He looked at the members of Chimera that had been gathering since Jerrick had shown up and shrugged.  "Something new.  Well, Rose and I will be getting our old brooms, but everybody else including Adam will be getting the same brooms Rose and I already have."

Four voices started complaining all at once, and only Lisa didn't add to the noise level.  The gist was that most of them liked their brooms, and what did he think he was doing anyway.  Lisa was thinking instead of reacting, and after a second, she spoke.  "Excuse me."  Her voice was just loud enough to cut through the babble of the other four.  They all turned to look at her, but she was staring at James.  "What kind of broomsticks will be arriving for us?"

James grinned, and the others could feel a rising mirth through the link.  "Well, one of Cumulus's businesses happens to be a Broomstick company, so I talked to Dad, and we got moved to the top of the list for Starblades."

Silence fell as the wizards thought about that.  Hangeld and Adam were looking around, and everybody else had their mouths open and were staring at James.  Adam sighed and spoke.  "I wish I was not the only muggle born here, because I get tired of asking for somebody to explain things that the rest of you already know."

Hangeld shook his head.  "Don't feel bad, this time I have no idea what's so impressive about a Starblade either."

Emma turned to them.  "Nimbus and Firebolt make the finest mass produced broomsticks in the world.  Their brooms are made for anyone to ride though.  Starblades are custom made for one rider, much like a wand only works well for one person.  Starblade Broomsticks outperform anything else in the world, they're faster, have better braking, and over a hundred individual charms for safety, comfort and reliability."

Lisa added, "it's not a well known company because each broom takes nearly a month to make, and takes the combined efforts of at least five wizards.  They also cost about ten times their weight in gold.  Even with that, there is a waiting list about a year long to get one."  She turned to James.  "You and Rose weren't riding Starblades during the Junior Quidditch Finals."

James smiled at her.  "Yes, we were.  However, one of the reasons that I got us all a Blade is that you can easily disguise it as any other Broomstick, and it can hold a few extra spells easily.  We might find that useful in the days ahead, and I figured that you might as well start getting used to them now.  I'd rather you made any mistakes on a Quidditch Pitch than when we're doing something prophecy related."

Adam looked puzzled.  "Wait a minute.  I thought only the people that were trying out for the team were getting broomsticks, so how am I getting one?"

James looked at him, feeling alarm bells going off.  "Um, I ordered yours when I ordered the rest, so that all of the Eight would have one.  Professor McGonagall will hold yours until the end of the year."

Adam and Lisa were staring at James.  Lisa asked, "did you order one for Daniel as well?"

James sighed and rubbed his eyes.  "It's always the smallest things that trip you up.  No, I didn't.  Rose saw that Adam was our eighth person at the Sorting Ceremony, but with the Bonding and other things, we just never had the right time to tell you about it."

Hangeld looked around for Daniel.  "What you mean, is that you didn't want to tell Daniel that he wasn't one of us."

"Pretty much," admitted James calmly.  "by the time I found out about it, and we were certain, neither of us were quite sure how to tell him.  I mean, what was I supposed to say, 'Daniel, we were wrong, and we don't need you?'  I don't think that would have gone over very well, do you?"

Chimera looked at each other and had to concede that James was right and that might not have been well received.  James ended the discussion, sending the group off on errands to prepare for Saturday morning.  He reached for Rose, and found her talking to Jerrick and Emily.  _"How do they look?  Will they be good for us?"_

Rose conferred with Melissa, and responded, _"More than good James, Jerrick's father is a senior Auror, and Jerrick says he'll help us if we need any information from the Ministry of Magic."_

_"Good.  Give Jerrick the codes and have him give them to his father.  We can use an Intell source in Europe.  In fact, ask him to ask his Father if he knows anyone that might be willing to do a few things for us."_

James got her agreement, and began going over the spells they were going to cast the next day.  The wards and charms were all old spells and he didn't anticipate any problems with them.  This linking spell though, was new and untested.  He was only going to let one group cast the spell until he was certain it worked properly.  He set that one aside and looked at the blood bonding spell.  He had lied to Professor McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore, lied by omission.  It was a simple spell, just as he had told them, accepting a person into a clan at the simplest level, much like the Blood Brother bond that even muggles could use.  

What James had not said, and the Instructors had not known enough Shaman magic to figure out, was that to bond somebody into a clan, you had to have a clan first.  James was about to Bloodbond every single Manticore into a new clan with him as the head of that Clan, and somehow, James didn't think Professor Dumbledore would be too happy to find out that James would be able to draw on that bond, and use their power to augment his own.  Rose knew, and so did Tiffany, but James trusted them not to say anything.

James looked around and drew out the scroll containing the last spell he would be casting Saturday.  Looking around again, he made sure that nobody could see what he was working on and went over it again.  As he checked the spell again, making sure he knew what he was going to do, Tiffany spoke to him from the girl's dormitory.  "_I still don't think that is a good idea James.  I know why you're doing it, and I can even agree that it might be a good thing in the abstract, but not in this case, and certainly not with this many people."_

_"We've been over this a dozen times.  I am going to do it, and I would hate to argue with you for the next fifteen years.  Like you said, you know why I'm doing it, and I am not going to change my mind."_  James and Tiffany had in fact talked about this a hundred times since he had started adapting the spell for what he wanted.  Tiffany didn't like it, and made sure he knew that, but she was willing to let him do it.  Not because she agreed with him, but because she could feel his need to do it.  James finished checking the spell and put it back in his robes.  He checked the time and headed to dinner.

Saturday morning fifty-two people were sitting in Manticore Hall, waiting to cast the spells that would bind them, to each other and to James.  Chimera was sitting behind him at the only table they had so far.  He made a mental note to get Phoenix on 'requisitioning' enough tables and chairs for everyone from some of the unused rooms, as well as the bookcases and other things they would need before long.

James had spent the last week talking to and evaluating the group.  Overall, he was satisfied with them and with what Rose and Melissa told him about them.  He frowned slightly as he saw Ron stone sitting with the people that would make up the Ravenclaw team of Sphinx.  Rose saw a pivotal point in there future, three or four years away, and there were too many paths coming out of that point for her to see anything specific at this time, but two thirds of the paths from that point had the gray or black feel to them that meant bad things had happened.  James had told them all about this, and they had discussed it.  Since they were here, James assumed that Sphinx was going to go ahead anyway.

James looked back at his team.  "_Are we ready to begin?"_  he sent, and got a collective 'yes' back.

He stood up and the low conversation that had been going on died as the would-be Manticores looked at him.  "Sonya, would you and Hydra go with Lisa and Adam please?"  Sonya silently collected her team, and the two Chimeras lead them into the door on the northern wall.  That was the only entrance to that room, and by the end of the day, nobody should be able to find that room except the members of Manticore.  James looked at the rest of the people while Hydra and his two people went through the door.  When they were gone, he started talking.  "As you have seen other the last week, the link spell is proven.  But since we had to change the spell a little to account for the fact that none of you have pre-existing links to work with, I'm only allowing one team to use it until I'm sure it does exactly what we want it to do, and nothing more."

James began pacing slowly as he talked.  "After all the teams are linked, we're going to cast a few more spells.  I will be casting some of them, but Adam and the others will cast the majority.  When we're finished, this Hall will still be here, but the door you're going to enter and the room you link in will be gone as far as the rest of the school goes.  I'm going to take a bit of your blood, and perform a Shaman magic thing.  That will bind all of us together and allow me to hide the door from anybody not in our group."

Arthur Weasley raised his hand.  When James pointed at him, he stood up and spoke.  "Why are we hiding that room, and what's going to be in it?"

James smiled.  "Good questions, but I cannot answer them yet.  After you are linked and bonded I'll be casting three more spells on you, one of which will be an Oath.  After you have taken it, ask me again."

This led to a lot of questions as they waited for Hydra to come out, and James answered as many as he could before the Oath was taken.  When the door opened and Sonya's group came out, James and Chimera grinned at their somewhat absent expressions.  All of them recognized it from their own experiences with the link.  Sonya looked up at James.  "It worked.  Hydra is linked."

James set Chimera to teaching the link spell.  Since they were on a deadline, James took Hydra aside and cast their Oath.  Once he had theirs, they could give the Oath as well.  By lunchtime, only one spell remained to be cast.  James passed the silver bowl around with a small knife and got one drop of blood from everyone.  Sitting before the door he was about to hide, he took a pair of disks out of his pocket.  Unlike the prank disks, these were made of gold.  James added the measured herbs to the 60 drops of blood and chanted a short phrase over the bowl.  The herbs dissolved into the blood that began changing color.  James added a few drops of fluid and chanted another longer phrase.  When he was done, the blood changed to steel-gray for a minute and then back to red.  James set the gold disks in the mixture and began chanting again.  The disks absorbed all the fluid in the bowl and sudden rose and hovered before James.

James pointed without breaking his chant, and the disks floated over by the wall. They rose to the top of the door and settled against the wall above the door.  A line ran along the door, and when it reached the disks again the entire door shone the steel-gray, and then the colors faded away.  The two disks sank into the wall above the door.  James brought his chant to a close and looked at the door.  He looked at Rose and smiled.  "Told you I could do it."

One of the Manticores called out, "but I can still see it."  Lisa turned her laugh into a cough.

Emily Kitchen raised her head from her book and looked at the door, and then the Hufflepuff that had spoken.  "You gave the drop of blood, you're supposed to be able to see it."

Connor McCloud, the Pegasus team leader scratched his head.  "So, how do we test it to be sure it worked?"

Emma shrugged.  "Easy, we find somebody and bring them up here."

James got up from cleaning her work area.  "That will have to wait.  Chimera has some work to do up here, but we also have the Quidditch pitch this afternoon. Just leave the little room alone for now.  Now, I don't know about y'all, but I'm hungry."  Tiffany and James went out the Manticore Hall door and James looked over the balcony.  Right here, you could look down and see the main floor hall five stories below.  James grinned as he suddenly thought of rappelling down that expanse of stone.

Tiffany looked at him oddly.  "Why do it that way?  Why not just float down?"  

James grinned at her as he passed the thrill of rappelling, and the adrenalin rush that came with it to Tiffany.  She blinked as she absorbed it.  "Do you have rappelling gear here?"

"Not yet, but when the war wizard supplies get here we will." James told her.  They smiled at each other as they made plans for one night.

After lunch, Chimera waited for Professor McGonagall.  When she was finished eating she took them to her office where the Starblades waited.  James unwrapped the large package and pulled out the two broomsticks not in soft cloth cases.  He handed Rose hers and set his aside.  He reached for the first broomstick.  On the end was a tag, and he read it. "Emma, this one is yours."

Emma took the broomstick from James and removed the case.  As the broomstick came into view, it shimmered for a minute, and glowed.  Emma looked at James for an explanation.  "It's set to you, but you might not be exactly the same as when you ordered the broom, so the spells don't seal until you touch the broomstick for the first time."

He spent the next few minutes handing out the broomsticks, even Adam's although he'd have to leave his here with Professor McGonagall.  They examined the Broomsticks.  No two were exactly alike, although they all had handles of African Ironwood.  Some had twigs of willow or hazel, and Hangeld's had twigs of oak and ash.  The seven people that were trying out for the house team the next day took their new broomsticks to the Quidditch pitch.  

One by one the seven lifted off.  James and Rose were used to theirs, and engaging in a wild game of tag, trying to come close enough to each other to touch the other person without hitting them.  Broomstick tag was very hazardous, but they made it look easy.

_"It's the link.  They are using their twin link to play tag."_  It had taken Lisa a minute to realize that they could not be coming that close all the time without using the link.  Once she pointed it out, they could all see it.  Tiffany was the first to join them, and her sheer exuberance drew the rest in.

The broomsticks were forgotten as they opened the Chimera link and chased each other around the pitch.  James and Rose had been playing games like this for a couple of years now, and passed advice down the link.  They flew for a couple of hours and then Adam sent to them.  _"Are you guys going to practice these moves we worked out, or can I go inside where it's warm?_"  They landed and Adam began briefing the chasers.  

James and Rose were trying out for the Beaters slots, Lisa, Emma and Melissa were after the Chasers and Hangeld was trying out for the Keeper's slot.  Tiffany had given them all grief for a few days over expecting her to be the Seeker just because she was a Potter, until Emma told everyone that Tiffany had been planning on being the Seeker for Gryffindor since she was six.

James and Rose had been pairing off as beaters in the North American Junior Quidditch Championship for three years now, and they were confident they'd get slots.  Adam released the Golden Snitch for Tiffany, and James and Rose spent the time throwing a Quaffle at the Goals while Hangeld blocked them.  Adam had a sketchpad, and was showing the three plays.  After he showed them the play, they would take off and try it several times.  Then they would get the Quaffle from the twins and try to work it on Hangeld.  Adam was watching the beater and thinking about the game as the chasers tried to get past Hangeld.  Tiffany had caught the snitch and was trying to push the limits of her new broomstick.

By the time the light started to fail, the group was comfortable with their broomsticks and the positions they would play.  James was openly hoping to get to play against the Slytherin team.  They had a set of twins as Beaters also, and James wanted to see how good they really were.

After dinner, James and Rose were called to the Headmaster's office again.  _"What do you think we've done this time, Sister mine?"_

_"I don't know.  We've been too busy this week for pranks.  Is it about the clan acceptance I wonder?"_

_"I hope not.  I want to hold that as a last minute surprise."  _James was frowning as they were led into Dumbledore's office.  "Sir, have we done something wrong?"

Albus Dumbledore smiled faintly.  "I'm sure you have, but that is not why you're here tonight.  The Househeads are a little upset that they were not told you would be recruiting their students for your project."

James looked at Rose.  He consulted quickly with Melissa and Tiffany, and looked back at the five adults.  "We didn't even think about it.  I'm sorry, but since you knew about the project and what's going to happen, we just figured whatever we did was ok with everyone."

The adults made certain that James knew that any further recruiting would have to be cleared with the Househead in question first, and the Househeads left.  Professor Dumbledore looked at James.  "By my count, you forgot to mention a few spells in this morning's castings."  He stared at James and the amusement was gone from his face.  "In fact, I cannot find a room I know should be there, and I felt a dangerous spell I didn't recognize being cast.  Would you care to enlighten me as to exactly what you did up there this morning?"

James didn't let his sigh of relief show.  Dumbledore didn't know about the 'Final Moments' or Clan binding yet.  "The room you cannot find Sir, we bound to the blood of the sixty Manticores, so that we have a place to put all those things and supplies we'll need.  However, just in case someone does find it, I put a Pendragon Fire Ward around the room as well, tied to the Manticores first, and if there are no more Manticores, the binding will pass to the current Headmaster."

Dumbledore thought carefully about that.  Knowing the kinds of things that would be stored in that room, he was happy to have it well protected.  On the other hand, the Pendragon Fire Ward was a potentially lethal ward.  "Tell me how the ward is set up."  Maybe he wouldn't have to do anything about it, if it was set right.

James thought for a second before responding.  "If a person who is not bound to Manticore enters the room, the ward will cause a flare of light around them.  If they step out of the marked paths, the second warning kicks in, and they begin to get hot.  Thirty seconds of increasing heat including a second decree burn on exposed skin should get rid of any accidental tourists.  If not, the last stage activates, and somebody has to sweep up the ashes."

Rose was watching Fawkes, and spoke almost absently.  "Professor, if the ward goes that far, it's needed.  First somebody would have to find a room that only shows it self to people that have donated blood to the room. Then it warns you in a way that should be obvious to anyone that sees or feels it.  If they continue past the second degree burn, they're UTS."

Albus smiled at Rose's contraction of 'Up To Something'  "Then we shall allow it to stand for now.  In the future however, I insist that you discuss any lethal wards with me first."

James agreed to that, and he and Rose left the office.  _"Alright James, what doesn't he know about?  You did something Professor Dumbledore wouldn't like besides the Clan thing."_

_"Well, I didn't exactly accept the Manticores into the Evans Clan, sister mine."  _James could feel Rose waiting for an explanation and tried to avoid her questions.  Rose though, was wise to James, having helped him perfect the very ploys he was trying to use on her now.

_"James.  Quit fucking around and tell me."  _Rose's voice was tightly controlled and James could hear her gritting her teeth.

_"I created a new clan, with me as the Clan head.  Dumbledore doesn't know yet, and I'd like to keep it that way.  In fact, I'd rather nobody knew that.  The special skills and talents that come with it are a bit much to deal with today.  At some point though, it might come in handy."_

Rose blinked.  She had studied under the Medicine Woman of the Flathead Indians while James had been with the Shaman, and she couldn't remember much about the Clan things, with were Shaman's magic.  Then a memory boiled up.  _"James, you can draw on their magic, all the Manticores, can't you?"_  Rose waited for James to deny it.  In the silence that followed, she groaned.  _"James you can't use that.  No one person can channel an entire Clan's magic.  They have always died."_

_"True.  No ONE person can.  What if we channeled it from everyone, to the eight of us, and we used it that way?"  _James knew about the hazards of the Clan linkage, and had already been planning to avoid dying.  After all, it would be annoying to die this week._  "Besides, while I want to have it in reserve, I really don't want to use it.  It reminds me too much of the final strike spell."_

_"Final strike?  I don't remember that one."  _Rose was trying to recall anything about a final strike spell, but came up blank.

_"It's in the war wizard's spellbook.  It takes every bit of your magic, and your life and converts it to a single bolt of force.  Nothing can block it, nothing can stop it.  However, the caster dies instantly with his or her target."  _James smiled at Rose and tousled her hair.  _"You don't need to worry about me using that spell, it's not even a calculated risk."_

James and Tiffany spent most of their night in Manticore Hall, casting a few spells and wards, and clearing out the smaller room.  James had already sent for the things he wanted, and that meant that he had to have the area ready to accept them before they got here.  Professor Dumbledore might be a tolerant man, but even he had limits, and cases of war wizard supplies and boxes of muggle guns and ammo sitting around without protection would exceed even his tolerance levels.

At the Quidditch tryouts the next morning, the acceptance of the seven of them for the next year's team was nearly a forgone conclusion.  Between the link, Tiffany's skills, James and Rose's experience and the Starblades, nobody even came close to matching their performances.

The rest of the school year passed in a nightmare rush for James and Chimera.  Between the Prophecy, Quidditch practice, schoolwork and all the other things that came from just being children, only James and Tiffany had any spare time to plant pranks.

With the faster ageing of the Soulbond had come a decreased need to sleep, and Tiffany and James were sleeping only about four hours a night now.  They spent the rest of the night doing things, not all of which they told anybody about.  Matters came to an abrupt head during the last month of school.  James had been growing increasingly stressed as the year passed.  Simply getting permission for 60 people to go to America had taken forever.

They had finally created the Fraternal Order of Manticore, as an Educational Society.  FOM had offered scholarships to some of the less well off students, and had 'randomly chosen' some people to go to America on an internship.  If they went, and passed the internship, their expenses at Hogwarts the next year would be paid for.  That the people chosen for the internship were all the Manticores was a well-kept secret. 

To make up for the loss of time with their families, FOM was paying for a week's holiday in Hogsmeade at the end of the summer.  To make sure the people that were leaving school at the end of this year didn't have to break their links, Cumulus opened a British office in Hogsmeade.  The links were great, but they all had one major problem.  While you were linked, you couldn't get more than about 15 kilometers from the rest of your link without experiencing headaches and increasing levels of pain.

Prefects Grey and Moore were two of the ones leaving school, although Prefect Grey was the only one of the two that was linked.  Prefect Moore had been offered a position with Cumulus's British office, but he had turned it down.  Albus Dumbledore had offered him a position as assistant Librarian at Hogwarts.  That would allow him to stay close to the majority of people he was documenting, and give him better access to the research possibilities of the Library.

James and Rose were in Manticore Hall and Rose was watching James.  James was aware of her concerns and he was a little concerned himself.  James was falling so far behind in his work that he had cut almost everything he did for fun out.  James's problem was simple.  Tracking the school marks, project works and of training sixty people was running him ragged even with Tiffany to help.  He hadn't even worked on a prank in nearly three weeks, and his tension level was getting so high that even Tiffany and Rose were walking very carefully around him.  That of course, just made him even more frustrated.

He was going over the end of week training reports for Sphinx when a hush fell over the Hall.  He looked up and blinked.  Albus Dumbledore and Alexander Evans stood in the doorway of the Hall.  Seeing anyone that was not in Manticore up here was odd enough, but Mr. Evans was dressed in Borderer leathers and carrying a large sword strapped across his back.

Alexander Evans looked at the wide-eyed kids and decided to test their mettle.  "I am going to count to ten," he said in a quiet voice remarkable only for it's utter tonelessness, "and anybody still in this room is going to regret it."  He pulled the sword off his back and leaned on it.  "One."

Chimera knew who he was, and they merely loosened their wands, wondering if this was a training thing.  Of the other Manticores, James was pleased with their response.  The teams formed up loosely, given themselves room to jump in any direction.  Phoenix stayed to the rear with the non mediwizards in front of the mediwizards led by Mercy.  They were prepared for their part as well James saw, as an adjusted robe showed the first aid pack belted under the robes of one of the Mediwizards.

"Two."  The only reaction Alexander got was the team leaders looking at James for instructions.  For an instant, James considered pitting Manticore against the Borderer.  He quickly nixed that idea.  Squib or not, Uncle Alexander was one of the most dangerous people James knew.  Years of warfare, muggle and Wizard, had honed him to a fine edge, and he had often faced dark wizards and giant mages.  Alexander was still here, and his opponents were not.

Too many wizards saw magic as the end-all, be-all of everything, forgetting or not caring that millions of people made comfortable lives without any magic.  Living between the two worlds as he did, Alexander picked and chose whatever he could from both worlds.  James knew of at least two ways Alexander could incapacitate most of the room quickly.

"Three."  Alexander was watching James.  He had seen the impulse to pit his people against Alexander pass across James's face, and then James had shut down.  Alexander was not sure which way James would decide.  He started planning his actions.  Pepper spray grenade over there; another there.  He'd need to smoke the room a bit also.  Burning, stinging eyes and noses interrupted a Wizard's casting ability, and smoke kept anyone that could cast from seeing the target.

"Four."  James finally sighed and looked around.  He motioned to Sonya Gebbs, the Hydra team leader.

"Take the Manticores out and have some fun.  Chimera will deal with this, and we'll let you know what is going on as soon as we can."  Sonya nodded, and turned to the rest of the Manticores.

"You heard him, get going."  Hydra was already heading for the door in response to Sonya's sending.  Sonya was the last one to leave, and she stopped before the big Borderer.  "I am Sonya Gebbs, and that is my friend there."

Alexander stared at the young girl who knew the Borderer ways.  Every culture had it's own customs, and the Borderers were no different.  Living under the daily threat of Giant attack, many of their rituals were designed to allow hair triggered tempers and reflexes to interact without fighting every three minutes.  Sonya had just warned Alexander that hurting James would mean that Alexander would have to deal with Sonya at some point.

"I am Alexander Evans, and he is my kin."  Alexander saw the brief flicker in her eyes before she controlled it.

"I will add luster to my name to know you, but friends are rare."  Sonya half bowed to Alexander and left.

Alexander grinned after the girl.  She had guts.  Her last comment had warned him that she would still hold him responsible for whatever happened to James.  He turned to James and evaluated the boy.  The ageing of the bond was showing up after almost a year, but Alexander was not worried about that.  He'd watched James grow up, and to anyone that knew James well the signs of a temper held only by threads of control were plain.  That and the tension tightening the area around his eyes worried Alexander.

"Would you care to explain to me just how you managed to get dumber at school?"  Alexander launched his attack, wanting to get this over with.  "I sent you the books on organizing large groups for a reason.  Being able to run a group in peace time is just as important as the 'Art of War' or any other tactics."  Alexander stared at the rapidly flushing boy.  "Look, a general staff is the best way to do this.  Only megalomaniacs and Gods can run every detail of a war, and I don't see any signs of divinity about you, boy."

James had clamped down on his temper before Alexander ever started talking.  "So I'm a megalomaniac now am I?"

Alexander leaned on Chimera's table.  "That or an idiot.  Look, do you trust Chimera?"

James stared at him.  "Of course I do."

"Then use them.  Assign them to watch over a team, and let them deal with the small things.  Have you even noticed that people are avoiding you?"

James blinked.  "Not really.  I've been busy.  Nobody said anything either."  James was looking at Tiffany while he spoke to Alexander.  _"Is it true?  Are people avoiding me?"_

_"James, everybody in Hogwarts knows about your temper, and the way you've been getting recently, even Rose and I are being careful around you."  _Tiffany sent her impressions of the way he's been over the last couple of weeks to him.

James frowned, and closed his eyes.  _"You at least should know I would never hurt you."  _He opened his eyes and looked at her, feeling a twinge of fear for his Soulbonded.  _"You do know that, right?"_

_"Of course I do.  However, I don't want to be the one that sets you off either.  You wouldn't hurt me, but you might take it out on somebody else, and that would be my fault."_  Tiffany reached for James's hand.  _"We can't keep on like this anyway.  I can feel your tension you know, and it's affecting me."_

James sighed, and looked at Professor Dumbledore.  "I assume you have something to say as well, Sir?"

The Headmaster was grave.  "I do.  In fact, I have a partial solution.  Starting today, you and all of Manticore will take Saturday off from the Project.  No training of any kind.  You may work on the regular classes of this school, or simply relax, but no training."  Albus stared at James, seeing his instant rejection of that.  "That is not an option Mr. Evans.  If I catch you training on Saturday, the first thing I will do is remove you from the Gryffindor House team.  That will give you the twelve hours a week you spend practicing back, as well as removing one source of stress from you."

Albus smiled faintly.  "Look at it like this.  This will give you time to plan and play more pranks.  It has been very quiet around the school this last couple of weeks, almost boring."

James looked around at Chimera and the two adults.  _"I assume from your lack of comments that you all agree with them."_

_"Yes."  _Seven minds spoke as one.  James grinned at them.  "Alrighty then.  It seems I've been put on vacation.  Miss Potter, I have an idea or two, would you care to join me in a game?"  He looked at Rose.  "I think I might need you as well Sister mine.  Feel like testing a new game?"

Alexander choked.  Dumbledore looked at him, an eyebrow raised in unspoken inquiry.  "The last time those two," he said, indicating Rose and James, "'tested' a new game, I got to spend the night rounding up North American Mountain Pixies."

North American Mountain Pixies were considered one of the biggest annoyances in the Americas.  Standing about sixteen inches high, they were chameleons that could assume any color or pattern.  They were also fascinated by anything bright and shiny, and they would take it back to their nests to keep.  Couple that with an insatiable curiosity, and they could make themselves a bigger pain in the neck than gnomes.

James grinned at the memory.  "Maybe we should have tried another type of Pixie, but Rose knew where that bunch was, and we were running out of time."  Alexander glared at him.  Alexander never had found half the things the Pixies had taken, and he was still annoyed about that.

"You still owe me a new put-outer."  Alexander got up, and started for the door.  "I'll be sending you a few questions on those organizational books.  I suggest you not fail that exam.  Right now though, I've been invited to eat dinner here, and I have to show Sonya that you're in one piece.  Dinner.  Now.  Go."

James and Rose knew that tone and the one-word sentences, and they were moving already.  Tiffany and Melissa were right behind them and the rest of the Eight were catching up.  They clattered down the stairs, and James stopped them on the third floor.  He laid out a plan quickly, keeping an eye out for Professor Dumbledore or Alexander.  He passed out a few disks after setting the time delay on them.  The grinning group headed to dinner.

In the Hall, Chimera peeled off, each member heading for one of the team leaders and having a quick word with them.  It didn't matter what they said, talking to the team leaders was merely the excuse for getting close enough to each table to plant the disk James had given them.  With the disks planted, they gathered at the end of the Gryffindor table to await the fun.

Dinner was nearly half over when the disks went off.  One minute, everyone was talking and eating, and the next, nobody could understand a word anybody else was saying.  Every time somebody opened their mouth, only baby babblings came out.  James and Rose grinned at each other.  _"I think we can count this one a success Rose."  _The Manticores were just as affected as anyone else, and they turned to look at James, who grinned and saluted them.  Because of the number of people it had to stretch to cover, the prank only lasted about ten minutes, causing James and Rose to discuss how to increase the duration of the prank.  On the back of each person's right hand was a small mark, a silver Chimera.

The next day James assigned a team to each of the eight, keeping the supply and intell side of Phoenix for himself.  Melissa got the Mediwizards of Phoenix, Rose got Sphinx, (James was hoping that closer contact with them would allow Rose to see whatever was in their future before it happened.)  Hangeld took over the training for Griffon, Adam was Dragon's controller, Tiffany wanted Hydra, and Lisa was paired with Pegasus.  Emma had the last team, Unicorn.

The last three weeks of school were much more relaxed with the new rules, and James even managed to relax enough that when a potion experiment of Emma's turned Tiffany into a hummingbird, he didn't fly off the wall.  He did however, ask for the recipe for that potion after Tiffany was restored to her normal shape.

On the last day, Ravenclaw won the House Cup, mostly because while Slytherin and Gryffindor had beaten them in Quidditch, the loss of points from the various things that had happened had allowed Ravenclaw to keep up and pass them.

The Manticores watched the other students leave, and then the transport for America arrived.  The Manticores got on the large bus, and a few seconds later a jerk and a loud bang announced their departure.  About four hours later, another jerk and bang announced their arrival.  

The Manticores dismounted, and looked around.  They stood in a clearing with tall pine trees around them.  Alexander and a few others were there, and they passed out port keys.  Each group took a port key and activated it.  They appeared in another clearing.  This one though, had signs of occupation.  Alexander Evans portkeyed in with Chimera, the last group to arrive.  He looked around, estimating the group.

"Welcome to America, and summer training.  My name is Alexander Evans, and I am the head instructor here."  Alexander got them all facing the same way, and took Emily's book so she had to pay attention.  "You will note the people in the green uniforms standing around.  You will refer to anyone in a green uniform as Sir or Ma'am.  People, I don't have time to be nice.  The next few weeks are going to be hell on you.  I am going to work you until you can't move, and them force you to get up."

"In a week, you're going to hate me."

In a month, you'll hate me and James for dragging you into this."

"In two months, you'll hate everybody here."

"When the war begins ends though, you'll thank all of us that kept you alive."


	11. Summer Training, the beginning

**_Summer Training: 1st Year_**

Alexander Evans was in an irritable mood.  He looked at the pile of files in front of him.  He had everything set up to train the Eight in combined Muggle/Wizard warfare, and then, just two months ago, James and Robert had dropped the Bomb. 

Alexander would be training not eight, but sixty people.  It had taken more hours of work than Alexander cared to remember to get set up for that many people in sixty days, and he still hadn't gone over the files on each person yet.  Since they were going to arrive in less than two days, Alexander saw a long night ahead.  He reached for the first set of files and merely skimmed them.  After all, he'd been planning the Eight's training for over a year now, and there was not much he didn't know about them. 

Hydra had all five of the people recruited from Slytherin, and he made a mental note to ask why they only recruited five Slytherins when the other houses gave so many.  After the usual information about each person, (Name, age, sex, House, skills, etc…) were three sets of comments. 

James had made the first set about each person as he saw him or her.  Rose and Melissa had used the Sight and Empathy to make the second set of notes, and Albus Dumbledore had made the last set of notes.  Between James's blunt black and white viewpoint, the girls' skills and Dumbledore's remarkable insights, Alexander was getting a good overview of each person. 

Rose's comments about seeing Sonya Gebbs on the borders in a couple of years made him scribble a note.  She might make a good Borderer, and the Borderers always needed replacements.  After the file told him who her parents were, Alexander was certain finding Sonya anywhere except the Borderlands would be unusual.  He was also certain he knew which Manticore she was.  One of them had half challenged him during his visit to Hogwarts, using Borderer custom.  Alexander would bet that had been Sonya Gebbs. 

Alexander spared a minute to think about Medlin "Merry" Gebbs.  He had been a Borderer, one of the Rangers, during the Voldemort war.  There were two kinds of Borderers.  Almost all of the four hundred Borderers were Wizards, and their duty was to keep up the wards and charms that kept Muggles out, and kept the Giant lands unplottable.  The rest of the Borderers were like Martin and Alex.  They actually walked the Border, interacting with the Giants and the people that lived there.  They were called Rangers, and Merry had been a good one, until the Landis Bridge incident, where he became a Legend. 

Five years ago, the Skullsplitter tribe of Giants had used a ruse to draw the garrison at the bridge out of place.  Medlin Gebbs had been the only person at the bridge when they started trying to cross.  He had sent for help, and settled in to hold the bridge until it arrived.  Merry held the bridge for at least six hours. 

The Giants had finally killed Merry, but he had held them up long enough that the returning garrison had caught them just five kilometers inside the Human lands, and driven them back into their lands. 

At the Landis Bridge, they found the body of Medlin Gebbs, and twenty-six dead Giants, all slain by bow or blade.  No Ranger before or since had ever killed so many giants in a single battle, without assistance.  Sonya Gebbs came of good stock, and if her performance at the school had been any indication, she was made of the same stuff as her father.  Alexander pushed that away, and went to the next group. 

The Sphinx team's notes from Rose were not good.  He read the entire note again.  "_Sphinx has a knot in their possible futures right around the end of third year.  There are too many paths and it's too far away to read clearly, but there are three main branches coming out of the focus point.  In the first, they continue with no changes.  The second one has them continuing with at least two new people.  The third one is the worst.  They all stop, with no futures anywhere that I can see."_

Alexander read that and frowned.  Even he knew that no futures meant you were dead.  Since even the most pessimistic view of the war had it starting in five years, what were they going to run into that could kill an entire team? 

Dragons, Griffons, Unicorns, _(Created by the Hufflepuff house he saw, and had to smile.  He had thought Hufflepuff sounded like something the Big Bad Wolf would do, and he still did.)_  and the Pegasus teams were normal, or as normal as this bunch got anyway. 

The first Phoenix file stopped him.  What in the dickens was a 'Defensive leader'?  He opened the file and read 'Riddle, Mercy'.  When he was done, he sat back and thought.  He had fought Voldemort's people, and the idea of training that git's offspring was upsetting.  On the other hand, there was her steadfast refusal to do any harm what so ever.  He read James's notes again, and grinned as he made a copy for himself. 

"_Mercy has everything we were looking for in a war wizard, and more.  She's smart, nearly Lisa's equal and she makes faster decisions, and her defensive tactics are truly inspired.  If she would ever drop the pacifistic nature, she'd be an amazing team leader.  I have tried, but she's as stubborn as I am, and unless you can think of something, she's going to let all that potential go to waste."_

Alexander tucked his copy of James's notes away for future reference.  James almost never admitted defeat, and having him do so in writing was just too good.  He turned his attention to the 'Offensive leader' and here was a name he knew.  Everyone knew Athena Clearwater of course, and Alexander had worked with Jerrick's father, Adrian Clearwater, on several occasions during the Voldemort war and on the Borders.  From the notes, this youngster was assuming his father's role.  If he was half as good as his father was, he'd be one of Manticore's best assets.

The rest of Phoenix was support personnel, and nothing stood out about them. 

Alexander looked at the clock.  Nearly 0300.  No real point in going to bed now.  He'd be getting up in a little more than an hour anyway.  He began studying the names and descriptions of his new students. 

Some time later, somebody knocked at his door.  "Enter," he called, and the door was opened to allow Martin Twofeathers inside.

"Alexander," he said, "What are you up so early for?" 

Martin Twofeathers was abrasive, rude and condescending, often all at the same time.  The only reason Alexander put up with him was simple.  Martin had forgotten more about tracking, both Muggle and wizard styles, than most people would ever know.  In addition, it was with his assistance that they had gotten permission to train Manticore here.  They were deep in the Flathead Reservation in northern Montana.  The Indians rarely came out this far, nobody else was allowed to come here except US Marshals, and a few spells had taken care of that. 

"I'm not up early, I'm up late," Alexander answered Martin. 

Martin just shook his head and told him, "Everything is ready for the kiddies." 

Alexander stared at him.  Martin was just being Martin, referring to the Manticores as 'kiddies', but somehow Alexander didn't think James would be happy to hear his people called that.  "I would suggest that you not let my nephew hear you call his people 'kiddies'.  James can be…" he hesitated, looking for the right word, then shrugged.  "extreme about protecting his friends." 

Martin grinned wryly even as he nodded agreement.  "I have met James, when he was studying Shamanism with Rolling Thunder.  I was also at the Quidditch finals last year.  My niece, Honor Blackwolf, was the Blue team's Seeker." 

Alexander sighed.  "Then you know the extremes James can go to."  Alexander thought about the report he'd gotten about the Mercy incident.  "My brother has imbued James with his black and white view of the world, where everybody is either for you, or against you.  With that, he got the Pendragon temper from Mary." 

Martin was taken back as he thought about that.  "I had not known Mary was a Pendragon."  He thought about it some more and frowned.  "A war leader with a temper is not a good thing.  One that sees the whole world in black and white is worse, and putting the two together is asking for trouble." 

Alexander groaned.  "Tell me something I don't know.  The only thing that might save us is that Soulbond, and the fact that James will listen to Rose."  Alexander thought about that, and amended his statement.  "Or any of the Eight for that matter." 

Martin raised an eyebrow.  "James will listen to somebody besides Rose and Robert?" 

Alexander laughed.  "You have met him I see.  Actually, James will listen to anyone he respects.  The problem is, that's a very short list.  It may have grown with the enlistment of the Manticores though." 

Martin started to say something, and then stopped.  He started a couple of more times, but couldn't seem to find the words he wanted.  Alexander watched him, and finally, told him to spit it out. 

"Rolling Thunder tells me that James owled him, asking for the Clan Creation spells.  Do you know why he wanted them?" 

Alexander blinked in astonishment.  He thought about James with those spells, and a chill when down his spine.  "Please tell me Rolling Thunder didn't give James those spells."  He read his answer in Martin's face.  "Oh shit.  What was Rolling Thunder thinking?" 

Martin just shrugged.  "You know the old man.  He's so far in the spirit world most of the time, that maybe it sounded ok to him." 

The two men considered what could be done with those spells and sat in somber silence for a long time.  A clan leader could use the clan bonds to draw on the clan's combined strength, but Clan leaders could do other things as well.  Few but the clan leaders and Shaman knew what those powers were, but the thought of James with more power than he already had made them both nervous. 

Martin was the first to break the silence.  "When do they arrive anyway?" 

Alexander looked at the clock on the wall of his room.  "In about thirty hours.  We'll issue the Manticore uniforms, and then start the next day." 

"Are you going to break them down first?"  Martin asked. 

"Of course.  It's the fastest way, and still the best."  When Muggles went in the military, the military used a combination of heavy exercise and strict discipline to break the civilians out of their ideas, and then built them back up in the proper military mindset.  Alexander was going to do the same thing to the Manticores, with a bit more care, considering the wide range of ages and physical body types. 

Martin nodded and the two men sat and planned the first few weeks of the summer training.  
  


* * *

The students were arriving by Portkey, and Alexander watched as they blinked into existence.  Chimera was the last group to arrive, and James stepped forward, running his eyes over the crowd.  He turned to Alexander.

"Sir, all present and accounted for."

Alexander nodded and motioned James back to his group.  He watched the silent group for a minute, matching faces with the descriptions in the files.

"Welcome to America, and summer training.  My name is Alexander Evans, and I am the head instructor here."  Alexander got them all facing the same way, and took Emily's book so she had to pay attention.  "You will note the people in the green and brown uniforms standing around.  You will refer to anyone in that uniform as Sir or Ma'am.  People, I don't have time to be nice.  The next few weeks are going to be hell on you.  I am going to work you until you can't move, and them force you to get up and run again."

"In a week, you're going to hate me."

"In a month, you'll hate James for dragging you into this."

"In two months, you'll hate everybody here."

"When the war ends though, you'll thank all of us that kept you alive."

**"**You are here to train.  This training is as specialized as any training you will ever get.  We are going to teach you how to kill." 

Silence and pale faces were the only response to his words, and he had their full attention.  Choosing one of the Manticores at random, he drew his sidearm, and asked him,  "You, what is this?" 

Ron Stone of Sphinx was the student he'd chosen.  "Sir, that is an M-1911A1 .45 caliber pistol." 

Alexander nodded.  "Very good.  You, what is used for?" 

Sharon Hitchworth was a fifth year Ravenclaw, and she had the answer, right out of the book.  "Sir, the M1911 is used for defense in close quarters." 

Alexander nodded again . "Right from the book, but not the answer I'm looking for this time."  He looked around, and his eye fell on Sonya Gebbs.  "You, what is this weapon used for?" 

Sonya looked at him, and replied quietly, but firmly.  "Sir, the .45 is used to kill enemy personnel." 

Alexander dropped the clip, and checked the chamber as he spoke again.  "Exactly.  Where is my Pacifist?" 

Mercy moved up.  "Here, Sir." 

"Stand right here."  Alexander turned to the group.  "I am about to explain what using one of these weapons does.  M-4, M-1911, whatever, it does not matter; they do the same thing to a body.  If I were to shoot Miss Riddle right now, I would point this weapon at her.  Taking aim, I would squeeze the trigger gently, and the hammer would fall.  The hammer would strike the firing pin, sending it into the primer.  The primer would explode, igniting the power inside the shell.  The exploding powder would cause a sudden expansion of gases that have to go somewhere.  They would push the slug out of the shell, and down the barrel at about three hundred meters per second.  The slug would strike Miss Riddle with approximately fifteen hundred foot pounds of force." 

He looked at the puzzled faces.  "Think of it as being kicked by a very large dragon, with a foot just .45 of an inch across." 

He turned back to Mercy.  "Impact of the round would cause three things to happen.  The steel jacket around the slug would fragment, shooting off in four pieces, going four different directions, and causing damage.  Those wounds however, are purely secondary, as the rest of the slug will flatten out, and begin pushing its way through her body by force.  Heart, lungs, ribs, doesn't matter.  The .45 caliber slug will punch through them, break them, or maybe be deflected, which does even more damage." 

Alexander turned back to the somber group.  "The end is the same whichever happens.  The slug goesthrough the body, starting with a hole just the size of the slug.  When it comes out the other side, it would leave a hole big enough for your fist.  The impact of the round would throw Miss Riddle down, but she wouldn't care.  At that point, she would be dead or dying."  Alexander looked at the pale students.  He had not changed the tone of his voice at all, while he described what would happen. 

"Miss Riddle, you may return to your place."  Alexander waited until she was back in her line, and then finished his speech.  "We are going to try and teach you how to keep that from happening to you.  At the same time, we will be teaching you to do that to other people.  Note that I said 'Try'.  I can't force you to do this, nor can anyone else.  You are all volunteers, here because you want to be here, and you've been told what we're here for.  In a few short years, we will be fighting a war to make Voldemort look like a food fight.  You people will be our front line troops, and my job is to prepare you for that event." 

He looked at the quiet group, and continued.  "In two days, you're going to hate us.  In a week, maybe two, some of you are going to want to quit.  You can do that any time you want, and it's very easy.  Behind me, you can see a path.  It is thirty meters long, and covered in white gravel.  At the end of it, there is a bell.  All you have to do to quit is walk that thirty meters and ring the bell." 

The students looked at the bell, and the path.  Alexander gave them the warning James had insisted on.  "You will forget everything you've learned about Manticore, the Prophecy and what you've learned here.  You and your belongings will be Portkeyed home, with only some vague memories of having spent time with some friends.  You will also lose all the magic Manticore has given, including the link, if you have one." 

The linked groups paled.  The wonder and excitement of being linked never really went away, and after two months of the link, nobody could imagine being without one. 

James suddenly swore under his breath.  _"Rose, I think we goofed.  We should have recruited a few people to account for any quitters."_

_"I thought about that, but I don't see anyone quitting as this stag.  We might lose a few after third year, when the Sphinx event happens, but not until then."_  Rose was quick to reassure James, who accepted her words and then grinned mentally. 

_"Rose, how sure are you that all of us will be back to school as Manticores?"_  James' voice had definite undercurrents of humour and sneakiness in it. 

Rose thought about it, and replied, _"Very sure, why?  What are you up to James?"_

_"Remember when Uncle Alexander conned us with that full glass?"_  James waited until Rose gave her assent and continued.  "_Uncle Alexander is expecting one or more Manticores to quit, and maybe we can get some of ours back."_

Rose just shook her head and warned James to pay attention to Alexander.  She spent a minute checking the Sight, and didn't see anybody leaving, or their paths leaving Manticore until after the Sphinx event, whatever that was going to be.  She frowned, wondering what other forms of the sight would be like.  She saw the future as a number of paths, and every decision created one or more new paths.  But major events, like the Sphinx event coming up, or the start of the war, created so many paths that none of them could be read.  Rose sighed, and jumped as Melissa elbowed her.  Most of the Manticores were gone, taken by various trainers to get their uniforms. 

Uncle Alexander was speaking.  "I'll be training with the elements of Phoenix that are not going to be Mediwizards.  Martin Twofeathers will be your team's trainer."

Chimera stared at Martin, and turned to look at James.  James was still considering Martin.  Alexander saw the way James was staring at Martin.

"Is there a problem, James?"  Alexander decided to confront James openly. 

James thought about it quickly.  "I don't know this person, Sir.  Will you hold his Honor in your hands?" 

Alexander looked at James and Martin.  "I chose him to train your link, James.  Ofcourse I will."  Under his breath, he muttered to Martin,  "If you screw that up, Martin, I'll do things to you that people will be talking about in five thousand years." 

Holding Honor was a Borderer's concept, one of their customs.  James had asked if Alexander was willing to vouch for Martin, and Alexander had agreed.  Now, if Martin did anything wrong, James would hold Alexander responsible for it. 

"Then there is no problem," James told them.

Martin looked at both of them.  James might be satisfied, but he wasn't.  He drew Alexander off to the side.

"Look, you said he was just another trainee once he got here.  Why are you allowing him to wonder about the fitness of his trainers?  You wouldn't take that from another trainee." 

Alexander nodded.  "I did say that, and I expect you to train them just as we've planned.  However, James is quite capable of screwing this whole deal up.  Right now, if he said we're leaving, how many of those kids would follow him?" 

Martin didn't even have to think about that one.  "All of them of course.  He's spent a lot of time building loyalty there." 

"Exactly.  If he thinks these Manticores of his aren't being trained right, or well enough, he'll be gone in an instant.  Robert told me that James has the Portkeys to take them all back to England already." 

"So?  He wouldn't just leave would he?  Without talking to you?"  Martin was confused. 

Alexander smiled faintly.  "Right now, James trusts me.  However, I set up this training area, and picked the people that will be training the group.  If James decides that this is a Charlie Foxtrot, that trust will disappear as fast as James will."Alexander smiled at his friend.  "Look on the bright side.  At least James won't tear any strips off you if this goes wrong.  He'll come talk to me, and you'll only have to worry about me."  Alexander looked at the quiet Chimeras before lowering his voice.  "Did James use those Clan Creation spells?" 

Martin looked at the group, and cast a spell.  He blinked at what he saw revealed there.  "Yes, and more.  Give me a second to sort all this out."  Martin was using a Shaman spell to read clan lines and magical relationships.  Sorting out all the links and bonds surrounding Chimera took him a minute.  "Ok, everyone of them has the Family bond, to the Clan they were born into, except that Muggle born boy.  On top of that, James is linked to Rose and Tiffany in separate links, and to all seven of the others in one link.  After that, he has the Clan Leader lines to everyone of the Manticores, and another link, again to all the Manticores, but that one is thin, not a link I know."  Martin regarded the link carefully.  "I should know it, I think.  It has a familiar feel, but I don't think I have ever seen it cast.  It's definitely a Shaman thing though, something I learned about in training." 

Alexander cursed softly.  "Great, just great.  I know about all the links except that last one.  Try to find out what that last link is, but be discreet.  Ask Rose or Tiffany, and be very polite about it.  Something like, uh, we saw the link, we don't recognize it, and we want to make sure it's not going to affect the training would work I think."  Alexander had a bad feeling about that unknown link.  Robert had been much like James and Rose in his youth, and Alexander was trying to remember the name of that spell.  "Damn.  Martin, look at that spell again.  Could it be a modified Lifebond?"

Martin stared at Alexander, then at James again.  He cast another Shaman spell, but before he could read it, James and Tiffany's heads whipped towards the two adults. 

Martin wasn't sure what James used, but suddenly all eight of the students were covered to magical view, as if a translucent bubble surrounded them all.  James came toward them, and the bubble detached a piece of itself to keep him covered. 

"If you wish to know something Magical about Chimera, I seriously suggest you ask."  James's voice was tight with anger.  "Tiffany and I have spend a great deal of time putting wards around Chimera, and some of them have teeth."  He looked at Alexander.  "Sir, there are no spells cast on any Manticore that should affect training."  James had been consulting Rose, and she told him that that was the most likely reason for the two to have been trying to read Chimera's auras.  James was hoping he'd caught Martin's probe before it found all the links.  James was unaware that the spell he'd caught was the second one.  "Now, if there is nothing more, we'd like to get started."  James went back to Chimera, leaving Alexander and Martin to look at each other. 

"Do you think that they really have wards with teeth?" asked Martin.  "I could try some other spells." 

Alexander shook his head.  "Trust me on this.  No person of Evans blood and Clan acceptance will ever directly lie to you.  We may not tell you, avoid the subject, or put you off, but we don't directly lie.  If James says they have wards with teeth, he means it." 

Martin stared at Alexander.  That sounds like some sort of geas_,_ but Alexander's expression did not invite questions.  He turned to look at Chimera.  James and Tiffany were looking at each other, and from their faces, they were arguing about something.  Rose was looking at James, and her expression was one of wary curiosity.  Martin sighed.  "I assume you had a good reason for giving me this group." 

Alexander grinned at him.  "Why yes, I did.  Do you remember telling me you'd like to have a real challenge, that didn't include us killing anything?" 

"Vaguely. We were talking about a break from the Border weren't we?"  Martin did have a dim recollection of something like that, under the influence of alcohol after a rough month on the Border. 

"Yes we were.  Here it is.  All you have to dois train eight kids for three months, without killing any of them."  Alexander seemed to find this hilarious. 

"What's so hard about that?"  Martin was confused, but he was suddenly remembering Alexander's sense of humour, and the jokes he'd played on people.  Those memories were fast giving him a sense of forbidding. 

Alexander smiled evilly.  "Let's see.  That group can feel your emotions, see the future, and adapt any spell you can think of to do things it shouldn't be able to do, and James can speak to all of them without you knowing it.  He leads them, and they are loyal to him, not you."  Alexander turned and looked at his friend again.  "When I add all that to your overbearing, egomaniac attitude, even I can see the future."  He was openly laughing as he turned to the patiently waiting group of Phoenix personnel that would be his responsibility this summer.  "Just remember, we have to have all eight of them alive and well." 

Martin turned back to Chimera.  They were all looking at him now, and Martin could almost feel them talking with that link of theirs.  He sighed again.  This was going to be a very long summer. 

"I am Martin Twofeathers, and as James so bluntly pointed out, you don't know me.  I am one of the Rangers with Alexander, and a shaman of Rolling Thunder's tutelage," Martin said as he got close to Chimera.  "We're going to issue uniforms right now, and equipment after that.  I expect you'll concede I might be capable of leading that, and save any other challenges until after you're properly outfitted?" 

James's face was innocent, but Martin could almost hear his laughter.  "Sir, Alexander has vouched for you.  We assume you are at least as good as he is.  Unless there is some other meaning to holding Honor?" 

Martin swore mentally as he realized that James was going to hold him up to be as good as Alexander, who was one of the very best.  On Martin's best day, he might, with a great deal of luck, some cheating, and lots of magic be able to take Alexander on his worst day, and Martin knew it.  As far as Martin knew, only two living Rangers could compare to Alexander, and they weren't here. 

Martin led them to the issue point, and watched as they got their uniforms and equipment.  As they assembled the various items and gearso it would fit into a small pack on their backs, Martin talked quietly to them.  Knowing they would be comparing him to Alexander kept most of Martin's arrogance down, although from the look on Melissa's face, she knew where he wanted to be arrogant. 

Suddenly, he swore to himself.  Martin knew about the links, but he was not used to thinking about them, and he'd just realized that he had to assume whatever one of them knew, all of them knew, including his attitude.  He finished his sentence and sat there regarding the eight children with something close to panic.  How the Hell do you deal with eight bodies that might as well be one person? 

Martin decided to attack.  After all, the best defense is a good offense, or so he'd always heard.  When Chimera had all their things ready, he took them to the tent site.

"The rest of the night is yours, to do what you want.  Curfew is at 2000 and lights out is at 2100.  I suggest you get some rest.  Tomorrow starts at 0400." 

Martin escaped into the darkness, and walked back to the tent the trainers were staying in.  He was going to get even with Alexander for this, if it was the last thing he ever did.


	12. Summer's end

**_Chapter 12_**

**_Summer Training_**

The rest of the day was uniform issue and equipment issue.  The Manticore uniform was a one-piece jumpsuit in black.  It had a Manticore patch on the left shoulder and a team emblem on the right breast pocket.  Above the team emblem, the team leaders wore a small pin-on star.  The reason it was a pin-on was quite simple.  If another member of the team turned out to be a better leader, it could be transferred easily.  The combat equipment was a variety of things both Muggle and Wizard, and would be left behind at the end of this training cycle. 

Alexander Evans surveyed his group.  While all of this group would be trained for combat, fighting was not their primary purpose.  Jerrick Clearwater was the Intelligence chief, and he had four people who were Manticore's general use people.  They might be assisting the Mediwizards, pulling guard duty, or anything else that needed to be done. 

Prefect Grey and Emily Kitchen were, in a common Muggle term, bookworms.  They would be looking into the research for the Manticores, and documenting everything.  Alexander had seen the notes Grey already had, and he was impressed with the young man's clear and concise writing. 

Emily, he could see, was going to be a problem.  Nothing was quite real to her, except her books and scrolls.  Every time he took whatever she was reading from her, she found something else, or pulled out a scroll and started making notes.  In just 6 hours, he'd already taken four books and two scrolls from her, and he was beginning to wonder if she had an endless supply of them, because she was taking notes again. 

Alexander dealt with a minor hassle, and came back to his group.  He showed them how to put on and wear the combat gear.

"These are the rules.  Every time you leave your tent, you will be in full gear.  I don't care if you're just going to the latrine."  He looked at Emily.  "Yes?" 

Emily had her head cocked sideways in a habitual gesture he was going to learn quickly.  "Sir, what's a latrine?" 

Alexander sighed.  "It's another word for bathroom." 

Emily nodded, and made another note.  Alexander could see a million questions coming from that girl, and suddenly he had an idea.

"Kitchen, see me after dinner.  I'll give you some books that should explain most of what we're doing.  However, during the day, you will leave the books in your tent, unless you are specifically told to bring them to training.  Is that understood?" 

Emily nodded happily, already wondering what new books she would get to read. 

Alexander looked at her.  "Kitchen.  In this unit, you don't nod, you answer.  You have both a mouth, and a brain or you wouldn't be here.  Is that understood?" 

Emily blushed.  "Yes, Sir." 

Alexander turned his attention to the others.  "All of you will have a different training schedule than the linked teams.  They will be studying various combat techniques all day.  You will study combat during the morning, and after lunch, you will be working on your specialties.  You four without a specialty will be learning how to work various things to assist a camp.  Muggle generators, Wizard shields and other items." 

Alexander wondered how the other trainers were doing.  He keyed the small radio he wore.  "All Wolfpack units, this is Wolfpack 6.  Status report, over." 

Wolfpack 6, this is Wolfpack Alpha, green over."  That was Martin Twofeathers.  There were codes for all the various statuses Alexander had been able to think of, and green meant everything was running smoothly. 

Alexander got green reports from all the team trainers and nodded.  So far, so good.  Of course, he thought wryly, this was only the first day. 

"The next four weeks, you people will be working under special rules.  To break all of you of depending on magic for everything, you will not use any magic unless an Instructor tells you to, is that understood?"  Alexander watched the disbelieving looks spread across the faces of the wizard born with a grin.  "People, I am quite serious.  There are millions of people in the world that get by without any magic whatsoever, and you're about to learn how they do it."  He grinned mirthlessly.  "At least one of you is going to try me, and let me warn you now, when I catch you, you're going to regret you ever heard of magic before I'm through." 

Alexander looked at his watch.  "Your tents are over there, and marked with the team emblems.  I really suggest you get some sleep right after dinner, because your day starts at 0400 tomorrow, and every day after that." 

At the dining tent, which was laid out like the Dining Hall at Hogwarts, Alexander watched the group.  He turned to Martin.  "How's Chimera doing?" 

Martin shrugged.  "We haven't gotten past issue and basic rules yet.  The prohibition on magic caught them by surprise, but James agreed with your reasoning.  He did ask if you wanted everyone to turn in their wands." 

Alexander considered it, but shook his head.  "No, I think not.  I would rather somebody test us about this, than later on about some rule that might have more serious consequences." 

Martin nodded.  "Are we going with a hell week approach, or simply basic training?" 

Alexander looked at him.  " 'We' are using the basic training approach.  The Eight are a bit more important; I want to try to break them.  Use the _Hell_ week on them until I tell you to stop." 

Martin stared at Alexander.  "Are you sure about that?" he asked a bit doubtfully.  "They're just kids when you get down to it." 

Alexander nodded slowly.  "Yes, they are.  They're also going to do more for the world than all our years on the Border combined, and they will not fail because we were too soft on them.  If you start getting too many injuries, I'll give you different instructions, but until then, drive them as hard as you can." 

The next few weeks compared unfavorably to tales of Azkaban.  They woke before the sun, and by the time the sun rose, they had already done more exercise than any of them had ever dreamed of.  Chimera had it the worst, as Martin took Alexander at his word, and tried to break them all down.  The other teams were not particularly happy either. 

One of the biggest problems for the wizard born was the lack of magic.  Most of the Manticores that shaved had never done so with an actual razor, and almost all the women were used to various helpful spells in the morning.  Spells for drying hair quickly and completely, blemish hiding spells and all the other little things you never thought of, until they were suddenly gone.  Alexander had to relent on the shaving spell, as the Manticores couldn't shave with razors, and they didn't have time to teach them to do it properly. 

However, after one of the Hufflepuffs was caught using magic without permission, and was punished, there were no more attempts to circumvent the no magic rules.  Watching the Phoenix member running around the camp 50 times in full gear was bad enough, but after he was done, Alexander found a dead fly, and made the poor victim bury it.  In a hole ten feet square.  After he was done, Alexander asked him if he'd buried the fly with its head pointing north. 

When he said he didn't know, Alexander made him dig up the entire ten-foot square pit again, and check, then rebury the fly.  Alexander told everyone at dinner that night that the next person caught using magic without permission would get it twice as bad, since everyone knew that the trainers weren't kidding about it now. 

By the beginning of the third week, the only thing keeping Chimera on their feet was James.  He had battled his temper all his life, and he had an iron will.  On the other hand, Rose claimed the only thing that could get though his thick skull was a Very Large Stick.  Whichever it was, stubborn pride or trained will, James refused to quit, and refused to let Martin know how close they were to breaking down.  He bullied, cajoled, begged and hauled his team upright.  His determination burned at them through the link, and somehow, Chimera kept going. 

Seeing Chimera still going, when they were being pushed twice as hard as the other teams, made it impossible for any of them to quit.  After all, if Chimera could do that, surely, we can do this, they told themselves.  After PT and breakfast in the morning, they studied.  Tactics, maneuvering, supporting fires and a wealth of military terms burned in their heads, as they were drilled until it was second nature.  If A happens, then you do B.  The same thing, every time.  That way, somebody could come from another unit or team, and know what was going to happen. 

Somewhere around week six, Alexander and Martin met for a training meeting.  Martin was getting worried.  "Alexander, there's something wrong here.  I'm pushing them to my limits, and they keep going.  I've been running the Borders for 15 years; I've got adult muscles, and twenty times the training.  One on one, I can take any of them, even Hangeld.  But as soon as they start doing anything as a group, they're pushing my limits." 

Alexander frowned as he considered what he'd just been told.  On the surface, there was no way a group of eleven year old kids should be able to push any adult, let alone a Ranger, to his limits.  They simply didn't have the muscle for it.  That Chimera didn't have some sort of muscle enhancements of a magical nature was evident in Martin's ability to take them one on one.  Alexander stopped, thinking about what Martin just said.

"Son of a bitch."

Martin looked at him, puzzled. 

Alexander explained his theory.  "I think they're drawing on the link somehow.  You said you could take them _individually,_ and that only when they _act as a group_, do they push you." 

Martin thought about it.  "You could be right, but what does that mean for training?" 

"It means all of them get a complete check-up with our medics tomorrow.  James may have convinced Melissa to forgo reporting anything that is not directly harmful." 

"Like what?"  Martin asked, until a light dawned.  "You think they might be burning bodily reserves." 

"Exactly.  Since you can use quite a bit of your body's mass before it becomes a physical problem, James could have talked Melissa into watching it, but not reporting it, as we only told the Mediwizard for each group to report anything harmful." 

Martin had another thought, as he considered Melissa.  "Isn't Melissa a Healer?" 

Alexander nodded, watching his partner curiously.  Martin looked at him.  "Healers can feed energy to ailing patients, I've seen it.  Can Melissa, consciously, or unconsciously, be feeding them energy through the link?" 

Alexander shrugged.  "Who the hell knows?  That link is so far above the others that it might as well be a completely new thing.  They could be swapping minds through that blasted thing for all we know." 

Martin grinned, an instant of very real humour.  "I hope not, I've been sleeping in the male half of the tent.  If the girl's minds are in the male bodies…" 

Alexander sniggered.  "We wouldn't want that.  God forbid they decide you're a normal man.  They'd faint when they finally saw a normal man." 

Martin was trying to figure out if that had been a compliment or an insult when Alexander spoke again.  "Drop the training back to everyone else's level until we find out what's going on exactly, but push them harder on the mental side.  If they are drawing on the link, then treat them all as if they were Lisa." 

Martin groaned, and dropped his head into his hands.  "Don't mention that name.  She's driving me stark raving mad." 

Alexander raised an eyebrow, and a slow sadistic smile grew on his face.  "You're the one who wanted a nice safe post, no violence or killing anything, remember?" 

Martin raised his head, and looked Alexander straight in the eye.  "If I ever ask to leave the Borders again, just shoot me.  The next time I'm on the Border, I'll attack the whole Giant nation, all ten tribes, before I come off the Border again." 

"How is she driving you nuts, anyway?  She was always polite to me." 

Martin looked at Alexander.  "Ever seen a child in that 'Why?  Stage', where all they do is ask you 'Why?'" 

Alexander grinned, and nodded as he remembered the Twin's 'why stage', and the chaos it had caused. 

"Well, she's still in that stage, only she's too smart to be foisted off, and to make it worse, you know as well as I do that the only reason we do some things is because 'That's the military way' or, 'It's Borderer custom'."  Martin put his head back in his hands, and spoke through them.  "Making it even worse, she hasn't been conditioned like we were to accept that as a good reason for anything.  She wants to know why it's the way, or the custom." 

Alexander sympathized with his friend, and then moved on to the rest of the training missions.  He spoke to the trainers separately, comparing what they said to make sure he wasn't missing anything.  Mercy Riddle was perilously close to achieving Sainthood among the trainers, he saw.  She was so sweet, kind and perfect, according to the comments that he read and heard, that he expected to see her walk on water before the end of training. 

Alexander felt an icy chill up his back, as he suddenly wondered if all those words were the result of compulsion spells.  He sent for Martin and asked him.  Martin just laughed.

"Mercy fixed a few problems here and there, and doesn't ask questions, or say anything when somebody comes to her for healing.  She just patches you up, and lets you go, no lectures about safety or responsibility or anything." 

Alexander watched Martin until Martin began to squirm.  "Who's running the _still_?" 

Martin's innocent face wasn't nearly as good as James's, as he replied.  "Still?  What still?" 

"Look jerk off, the only time the whole bunch of you needs quiet help is when: A. You're drunk, and try Broomstick sex, even though nobody has ever figured out how to pay attention to the sex and the broomstick at the same time, B.  When we get sideways of a couple of Aurors, or C. when you managed to get a still going.  A is hard to believe because there are only three eligible woman on this mission.  B is hard to believe because there are no Aurors here.  That leaves C, and I think that it's the most likely because I know you all.  You could make a still out of a straw and two pinecones if you wanted." 

Alexander thought about it for a second.  "In fact, if you have a still going, there might be a bit of A in there as well."  He stared at Martin, waiting for him to say something. 

"Look, after dealing with these people all day, we need some way to relax, and as you just pointed out, it's not like we have a lot of choices in entertainment out here."  Martin defended the still, a device for making moonshine, or homemade alcohol.

Alexander looked at him.  "As long as you aren't hammered in front of the students, or on duty I don't care about that.  I just want to make sure somebody decent is running the still.  Mickey likes to charge for his shine, and your shine should be classified as a deadly weapon, or a chemical weapon." 

Martin looked injured.  "My moonshine is getting better.  It hasn't put anyone in the hospital in months.  Besides, the recipe is Sonya's.  She has Merry's old recipe memorized." 

Alexander rubbed his eyes.  "Are you telling me that a student set the still up?" 

Martin shook his head virtuously.  "Of course not.  She never touched a single piece; we did all the work at her direction."  Martin stared at his friend.  "What's the problem anyway?  She's a Border brat, Alexander, and the daughter of three of **our** finest.  Merry was her birth father, but Falcon remarried you know, and now she's married to Shadowwalker."  Martin grinned at Alexander.  "She's pure Borderer you know.  The still, and its hidden location, was all her idea." 

Alexander rubbed his eyes some more.  "You do realize that anything she knows, James knows, and probably Jerrick as well, as well as anyone they told, which might be bloody everybody by now." 

Martin shrugged.  "So?  As long as we don't get drunk on duty, does it really matter what the kids think we're doing after hours?" 

'I hope not' was Alexander's thought, but all he said was, "Keep a lid on it at least alright?  And find Mercy and tell her I want to talk to her." 

Martin sighed as he walked out.  "There goes the quiet medical treatment." 

The next day a through medical check-up on the Chimera link showed exactly what Alexander had thought.  All eight of them were down at least fifteen pounds, and none of them had more than four percent body fat.  _(4-5% body fat is what most people come out of US Army Ranger School with.  The average, for a healthy adult in America is about 11-13%, and most people these days aren't that healthy.  Dropping 10%+ in 6 weeks is bad for your system.)_  Alexander doubled their rations, and took James and Tiffany out into the woods for more than three hours.  What happened out there is a secret the three of them would not discuss.  _(Actually, they're not, but it would add about another eight thousand words to this chapter.  It'll be a bunnie on the side.  Raven)_

The last week was review, and more review.  Each team leader was given a precise breakdown on what his or her team needed to study during the school year, as well as the new topics that would introduced next year, so that those that wanted to could get a head start.  Martin just groaned when he heard that Lisa had already started reading the new material, along with Emily and Mercy. 

With the students in Northern Montana, agents for Cumulus bought the various school things they'd need for the upcoming year.  With eight days until the year started, the Manticores were Port-keyed to Hogsmeade for the week of family and friends. 

Tuesday morning, Chimera and the rest of the team leaders were sitting in a group, discussing the only two members of Chimera that were not there. 

"They're UTS," said Lisa,  "And somehow, I'm not sure the families are ready for what James and Tiffany call humour." 

"Of course they are," said Rose with an absent look on her face.  "First, James has been Up To Something since birth, and second, he's shielding me so tightly that I can't even get a feel for what he's up to." 

"So, how do we stop them?"  Sonya wasn't worried about what they were up to; merely about stopping whatever scheme they were hatching in that warped double mind of theirs. 

Hangeld snickered.  "You're kidding right?  James is a whiz at hiding a prank.  Everybody in school, including Professor Snape, knows we're Chimera, but has anyone caught James planting a single prank?" 

Adam disagreed.  "I think we can stop them from planting one.  After all, we know his methods through Rose, and we're got fifty-eight Manticores to use, to keep them busy all week." 

Emma grinned wryly.  "Well, it'll be interesting anyway." 

Adam and Rose consulted for a few minutes.  "OK," said Rose, "If they're going to get everybody at one time, it's going to have to be a meal, and there are only two of those, where everyone will sit down at the same time; the barbeque Wednesday, and Friday night's dinner.  James won't interrupt the dinner, father has some Business to announce then, and James won't dare disrupt that."  The capital letters in business were clear, as was the reverence Rose said the word with. 

Melissa looked up from her scroll.  "Are you trying to say that there is a line James won't cross, for a good prank?"

Various disbelieving faces waited for Rose's answer.  She raised an eyebrow, and then shook her head sadly, giving a mock sigh as she did.  "Please, you all keep teasing us about our lack of regard for money, but we do know how we got it.  Plus, father taught us most of what we know about pranks, and he's got years more experience."  Rose grinned at the enlightened expressions around her.  "Trust me, James will not interfere with business, father's revenge would be terrible." 

Lisa had a sudden thought, one she shared only with Adam.  "_Adam, we need to have a conversation with Mr. Evans.  He could help us repay the twins for a few pranks."_

Adam grinned at her, and sent a mental agreement. 

With a plan and a schedule, the group broke up.  Until the week was over, at least two Manticores would be watching James and Tiffany all the time, even at night. 

James and Tiffany were in fact UTS.  They had a great prank all ready, but every time they came near the food, there were people watching them.  By Tuesday afternoon, they were getting very frustrated.  They were walking around Hogsmeade, trying to ditch the two tailing them.  Unfortunately, Rose and Melissa were not that easy to get rid of. 

James was considering the problem as they walked.  Tiffany was leaving it up to him, and was looking through James's memories.  One of James's ways to relax was a Muggle thing, books called 'Epic Fantasy" and Tiffany was looking at one of them in his memories.  She found a scene in the book, and called it to James's attention.  _"James, would this work?"_

James looked at the scene.  _"No, barbeque is a finger food."_

Tiffany looked at James's memories of American barbeques, and noted something.  _What about this?"_  She said, pointing something out.  James considered it, and grinned widely. 

He swept Tiffany up in a hug.  _"Perfect, and I think we can even use our guards to make it work."_  James was used to hugging Rose, and it took a few seconds for the fact that the warm soft body he was holding tightly was not Rose.  He set Tiffany down and the two blushed at each other, before turning back towards the Manticore campsite. 

The next morning James wandered over to Rose and offered to help make potato salad.  Rose stared at him suspiciously.  "What are you up to, James?"  Rose blinked and looked around.  "Where's Tiffany?" 

James sighed.  "I'm not up to anything.  There are about 300 people here, but only four, maybe five of us know how mom makes her potato salad, and I thought I'd help.  Tiffany is already helping, folding napkins with Sonya." 

Rose was still suspicious.  James, even with the shield he had over the links between them, still had that feel, that air of UTS.  Besides which, James's cooking was roughly on a par with Hagrid's baking.  That is, you could eat it, if you had to, but you'd rather feed it to your worst enemy.  Rose finally gave in, to a point.  "You can help Hangeld and Adam lay out plates and utensils.  They'll be watching you, so don't try anything." 

James smiled sweetly.  "I know they will, and after the families are gone, we're going to have a long talk about Chimera using Manticore for a personal project."  He left; heading for the long tables everyone would be eating at today. 

Tiffany was babbling mindlessly.  It was deliberate, but it was still the sort of mindless chatter that makes listeners want to strangle you.  Sonya Gebbs had the glazed look of a woman trying to stay awake in Professor Binns' History of Magic class.  Sonya was an active girl, always in motion or doing something.  Between the repetitive folding of the napkins, and Tiffany's babbling she wanted to be somewhere else.  Anywhere else. 

"Sonya, why don't you go and get us a couple of trays to carry the napkins out to the table with?"  Tiffany was casual about the question, not even stopping the folding she was doing. 

Sonya was so happy to be able to do something; she was nearly running when she left the tent.  She already had the trays, and was on her way back, when she realized she'd left Tiffany alone.  She hurried back to the tent, but Tiffany was still folding napkins when she burst back in. 

Tiffany looked up at her sudden entrance, and giggled at her.  "You thought I was going to be gone didn't you?"  Sonya's blush answered the question for her.  "I thought about it, but you know my Yank, he'd use me in a potion if I left something unfinished, and we still have a few more napkins."  Tiffany got that absent look, and when she came out of it, she looked at Sonya apologetically.  "James says you have to be more careful with Guard duty.  Guarding anything is almost always boring, but you can't let your mind, or feet, wander."  The two girls finished the napkins, and delivered them to the tables. 

At 1400hrs, the Manticores and their families began heading for the tables.  Robert and Alexander had been hard at work at the fire pits, and now barbequedeverything began weighing down the tables.  Spareribs, hamburgers, hot dogs, chops, corn, it was all there, and there were four kinds of home made barbeque sauce to pour over it all. 

While most of the meals had been more traditional for the country they were in, James, Robert and Alexander had insisted that it simply was not summer without a barbeque.  Adam, the fan of anything western, had agreed, and when Martin and a few of the Wolfpack team had added their thoughts, it was arranged. 

Everything seemed normal to Rose who was sitting across from James for once.  Until about half way through the meal, when she caught James looking at his watch, in a casual way she knew all too well.  "_James, what are you up to?"_

James looked at her, and for the first time in three days, let his shields drop.  _"Nothing at all, Rose.  I promise, we're not up to anything, anymore."_

Rose caught the one important word in that sentence.  _"What do you mean anymore?"_

Rose's only response was a time and soft laughter from James and Tiffany.  _"Twenty seconds, Sister mine."_

Rose was looking around and Chimera was just getting the word, when the air around the tables seemed to shimmer for a second.  When everyone could see again, every single person at the tables had become apes.  Not just apes, but grape colored apes in baseball caps.  The emblem on the front of every cap was the Winged Flame. 

Even as people started jumping up, and from the sounds, some were starting to scream, the air shimmered again, and the apes were gone.  Everyone that knew the signature looked at James and Tiffany, who had changed with the rest of them.  James was calmly handing Tiffany some more ribs, and he looked up at close to one hundred accusing stares.  He picked up his burger, ready to eat it, and at them all. 

"Next year, I'll get the color right, I promise."


	13. 2nd Year, chapter 1

**_Prophecy, 2nd Year._**

Chapter one 

Albus Dumbledore looked around the Hall as Professor McGonagall ushered the first years in for the Sorting Ceremony.  He was mildly surprised to see that the Evans or Chimera had not pulled any pranks yet.  After the near daily chaos of their first year, he was halfway expecting them to have started with the pranks already.  He looked at the already seated returning students.  Unlike the years of the Voldemort War, all of his students were back this year.  Albus still felt a slight regret that he had missed the departure of Fred and George Weasley.  From all accounts, they had made one of the more dramatic exits from Hogwarts.

Professor Dumbledore watched the Sorting, while keeping an eye on Chimera.  James was evaluating each new student, and from the looks on Rose and Melissa's faces, they were using their talents to read the students as well.  Professor Dumbledore saw the looks and flurry of hand signals passed to the Ravenclaw table after "Sun Tzu, May-ling" was sorted there.  He made a mental note to find out what was so interesting about a Muggle born Asian Witch from London.

After the Sorting, the Headmaster made the announcements.  The Forbidden Forest is just that, Mr. Fitch has added more things to his forbidden list, entire list in his office, all those announcements that happened every year.  This year though, he had an addition.  There would be a Halloween Ball for the third year and up students.  With all that said, let's eat.

James was thinking about the new Ravenclaw.  Given that he was in a foreign country, engaged in training and funding a para-military force of Wizards, in violation of probably a million Ministry of Magic rules, James was seriously paranoid.  The young girl, May-ling Sun Tzu had the name of one of the greatest strategists of all time.  That was interesting, but not important.  What was important was that she could not be touched with Melissa's Empathy, or Rose's Sight.  Trying to touch her with magic was impossible, and that made the Noid in James very nervous.  He scribbled a note on a piece of paper to ask the Headmaster what he knew about May-ling.

James spared a glance for Drake Rohan, a new Hufflepuff that could be a friend or an enemy according to Rose's Sight.  James was going to make sure that those two were at the top of Jerrick's list tomorrow.  James smiled at the thought of Jerrick's files.  Tiffany, James and Jerrick were the only people in Hogwarts that knew Jerrick had a file on every being in Hogwarts, right down to the Ghosts and House elves.  James was paranoid for a reason; Jerrick had learned professional Paranoia at his father's feet.  Adrian Clearwater had been, and still was the Head of Auror Intelligence.  Jerrick even had a file on himself.

_"Yeah, but can we trust his file?"_  Tiffany was laughing at his thoughts.  For an instant, James let himself consider the fact that Jerrick could take out or insert anything that ended up in the files.  _"James, relax.  You have Rose and Melissa to keep tabs on all the Manticores, even Jerrick."_  James sighed, and scanned the Manticores out of habit.

No matter what house they were in, or what team, the Manticores were easy to spot.  A long summer of heavy PT and harder training made them much more physically fit than the rest of the students, and they had an air about them of self-confidence.  That, and the fact that all the Manticores had fallen into Chimera's habit of sitting at the far ends of the tables made them easy to find.  James began thinking of what they'd be doing this year, and he had to grin suddenly.

Lisa Malfoy was not a morning person, and her reaction to having to get up an hour and a half before breakfast to do the daily PT had been amusing to anyone that didn't live in her room.  Lisa had been known to hex happy people who came in her sight before breakfast.  James and Alexander had introduced her to the joys of coffee over the summer, and now, you only had to avoid her until the first cup was gone.

Tiffany, who was an incurable morning person, was already planning to get Dobby to deliver a pot of coffee to Lisa every morning.  Last year, James had been forced to fly in the girl's room window to release Tiffany from a dozen different hexes.  He could have flown up the stairs, but using the window eliminated the chances of running into a non-Manticore girl in the hallway.

James was trying to figure out how to ask Professor Dumbledore for a meeting after the meal without letting everybody know about it, when he had a thought.  During the first year, the Professor had known about things that nobody told him.  James had considered the problem, and the most likely way for the professor to find out what was going on, was a spell, or series of spells that allowed the Headmaster to listen to any conversation in Hogwarts.  Since there could be dozens of conversations going at any given time, there had to be some sort of trigger that brought a conversation to his attention.  James decided to test his theory.

"I know this is cheating, Professor Dumbledore, but I need to see you after dinner."  James spoke low enough that Tiffany wasn't sure she'd heard him at all.  James watched the Professor, and was not surprised when the headmaster looked his way, and nodded slightly.  What did surprise James was the Professor using the Manticorian hand sign for Rally, and the one for 2200.  James sat back and considered these two bits of information.  Professor Dumbledore could hear any conversation he chose to, and he knew the hand signs.

_"Rose, we need some anti-eavesdropping spells in the Hall as soon as we can find the spell Dumbledore is using."_  Rose rolled her eyes at James.

_"Why?  All he has to do is ask if there is something he wants to know about Manticore."  _Rose was certain that was a waste of time.

"Two reasons, Sister mine, first, I want to be certain nobody else can use those spells.  Second, the idea of anyone listening to me and Tiffany late at night gives me the creeps."

_"And what are you two doing that you don't want anyone listening to?"  _Rose inquired, in a tone that said she thought she knew already.

"_Not that, you know I like to brainstorm out loud, and I don't want all our secrets floating in the air for anyone that can use that spell."_

Rose finally agreed to look into it, or have Emily do it.  James went back to thinking about all the things they had to do this year, until he was elbowed from both sides at once.  He pushed down the instant anger, and looked at his twin, and Tiffany.  _"It's first night, save some work for tomorrow."_  The thought was a joint sending from both the girls.  Rose's tone was sarcastic, while Tiffany's was merely exasperated.

_"I've already started playing, can't I do some work?"_  Tiffany of course, already knew what he was talking about.  Rose looked at him.

She spoke aloud, but in a low tone.  "What do you mean James?"

James grinned, and made an elaborate display of checking his watch.  "You'll find out in 9 minutes," he said.

Rose checked her watch.  It was nine minutes to nine.  _"Who's going to get it, and what prank is it?"_

_"I don't know who all is going to get it, but the prank is a variant on our 'color capers' disk."  _James was watching his watch, and the crowd with an air of anticipation.

Rose had a sudden premonition.  _James, how did you activate it?"_

_"I didn't.  I didn't even touch it.  Did you notice the free samples of candy on the train?"_

Rose groaned.  "_Please tell me those aren't ours?"_

_"Well, yes they are."  _James said, looking surprised.  "_I thought it was about time the Green Flower had some candy pranks, and Gemstone Color Candies looked like a good first offering."  _The Gemstone Color Candies were in various jewel shapes and colors, and made of a hard candy you could suck on for hours.  The fact that you would turn the color of your candy was merely a fun bonus.

_"James, I think everyone on the Train tried at least one."_  Rose paused significantly.  _Including Professors Moody and Snape."_

James froze, and his eyes went from his watch to the Staff table.  He opened the link to Chimera, and poured the story down the link.  _"Does anyone know if Professor Moody has a sense of humour?  I already know Professor Snape is not going to be happy."_

Rose grinned at her brother.  _"I think you're about to find out Brother mine."_

James checked his watch again, and watched the minute hand move over the twelve.  He looked up in time to see the entire room explode into color.  Anybody that had just one of the candies was a solid shade of whatever color he or she had eaten.  If you'd eaten two or more, you were vertically striped, in as many colors as you had eaten.  One poor fellow at the Hufflepuff table was six different colors.

James looked up at the head table.  Professor Moody was solid red, but Professor Snape had eaten three of them.  He was striped red, blue and green.  On the back of everyone's hand was a signature that nobody had seen before.  It had Tiffany's crimson flame for a base, but it had two blue wings rising from the sides.

Rose was the first to figure it out.  _"What's with the new signature, James?" _

James was watching Professor Snape try to break the prank with a certain pride.  After all, a good prank shouldn't be that easy to break.  He replied to Rose absently.  _"I overheard a couple of Manticores talking about figuring out how to tell everyone they're a couple, without being obvious."_

James suddenly noticed the dead silence in the hall.  He looked around, and groaned.  With the exception of Tiffany and himself, every single person that had come in on the train was at least one unnatural color, and every one of them was staring at him.  He glanced at the rest of Chimera.  Even they were colors.  Hangeld had apparently tried four of them, and the rest of Chimera was two or more colors.

"Mr. Evans," Professor Snape said, "since you seem to be the only normally colored person here right now, maybe you can explain this rainbow of students?"  James winced at the silky menace in his voice.

James stood up and surveyed the colorful crowd.  "It would appear, Sir, that somebody has pulled a prank."  James was projecting innocence as hard as he could, and a newborn baby couldn't have matched the look of innocence on his face.

Professor Snape appeared to be turning more colors under his candy colors, as his temper flared.  "Would you know the names of these perpetrators, Mr. Evans?"

James had never outright lied.  He might avoid answering, not say anything at all, or leave things out, but he never outright lied.  He thought for a second.  "Sir, the Gemstones Color Candy is a new Green Flower prank."  He looked around again.  "I believe this was the first public test of the joke before being added to their line.  It would appear," he said earnestly, "that it's a complete success."  Laughter rippled through the hall.

"I hope it wears off soon" The speaker this time was Professor Moody, who was staring at James.

"Sir, with very few exceptions, most of the Green Flower pranks only last about an hour."  James assured him.  Professor Moody was about to say something else, when Professor Dumbledore caught his eye.

"I think this would be a good time to end this meal.  Prefects, please escort the new students to their houses.  Good night."  The Headmaster ended the discussion, as laughing students began the walks to their houses.

Sonya caught up with James.  "I am so glad the first fell on a Friday this year.  That means Hydra has all day tomorrow to pay you back for this."  James grinned at the tri-colored Sonya and then a challenging gleam grew in his eye.

"Care to bet on tomorrow?"  he said.

Sonya had bet with James before.  "What terms, and what's the bet?"

"Simple.  If any Manticore can catch and hex Tiffany or I anytime between sun-up and sundown tomorrow, you win.  If no one can find us, we win."  James smiled mocking at the Manticores crowding around to listen.  "Of course, if you're all to scared… he let the statement trail off suggestively.

"The bet?"  Sonya reminded him.  James looked at her and then grinned.

"Simple.  If Tiffany and I win, each team has to give us one member on request, for prank testing.  If you win, each team gets a playday."  Playday was a Manticore thing, where the person or team that earned it could blow off all the training that day.  You didn't have to do early morning PT; even James couldn't run you ragged on a playday.

The Manticores came back quickly with their agreements.  James had just one last thing to say.  "Tiffany and I will not go anywhere that any Manticore can't go, and you will not use the Marauder's Map, or Rose's Sight.  You will use teamwork, skill and brains to find us."

As everyone went to their Houses, the only person that looked worried was Rose.  Melissa looked at her.  "_What's with you?  We have 58 Manticores, the Chimera link and your twinbond to find them with."_

_"That's exactly what bothers me.  James has only lost three bets that I know of, and he always makes it look like the odds are in your favor."  _Rose was trying to find the flaw James had in mind to take advantage tomorrow.

Melissa thought about it, as they climbed the stairs to Gryffindor.  _"I still don't see how they can win."_

Rose nodded vigorously.  _"That's exactly the point.  James wouldn't have bet if he weren't positive he could win.  What do they know that we don't?"_  They were still thinking about that as they passed through the Portrait hole behind the Fat Lady.

At 2200, James and Tiffany were outside the hidden stair to the Headmaster's office.  The Gargoyle moved, and Professor McGonagall escorted them up the stairs.  In the office, they greeted Fawkes, and found seats.

"That was an interesting display at dinner" Professor McGonagall's face was as prim as ever, except for the faint curve to one side of her mouth.  "Professor Snape will not be happy when you start potions with him."

James shrugged.  "Nothing anyone can do about it now.  I think that the Green Flower people didn't expect any Professors on the Train."

Professor McGonagall gave James a sharp look.  "Professor Dumbledore told me who owns the Green Flower."

James grinned wistfully.  "If I had known that there were going to be that many victims, I would have gone with my first impulse, and used the Manticore colors."

Professor McGonagall looked at him.  "Manticore has colors?"

Tiffany nodded.  "All the teams do.  Manticore is silver on black, and Chimera is gold on black."

James took up the recitation.  "Sphinx is dark red, Hydra is dark green, Phoenix is scarlet, Unicorn is pale blue, Griffon is white, Dragon is tan, and Pegasus is light green, all on black."  He grinned.  "I'm thinking of making flags for Manticore Hall."

Professor Dumbledore turned the meeting to business.  "What is Manticore's interest in Miss Tzu?"

James and Tiffany got serious.  James explained how she couldn't be touched with magic.

The headmaster considered that thoughtfully.  "She was also the only person that did not change color exactly at nine."

James cocked his head, inviting details.

"I happened to be looking at the Ravenclaw table when your prank went off, and her change was at least six or seven seconds behind everyone else's."

James narrowed his eyes.  "I can't believe that she just happened to get the only faulty color candy in the entire school.  That means the prank didn't work on her either, and she changed her own color, so she wouldn't stand out."

Professor Dumbledore objected to that.  "She's a Muggle born first year, she shouldn't be capable of that kind of magic yet."  He considered it further.  "Yet, she did change late, and as you say, the chances of her getting the one improperly charmed candy in the entire bunch are slim.  That would mean that she's not what she seems to be, and is hiding something."

James nodded.  "That's why the Ravenclaw Manticores will be watching her.  I need to know what she is hiding, and who, if anyone she's working for or with."  James thought about the girl, wondering if intimidation would get the truth from her, but Tiffany vetoed that idea.  "I think we'll just have to assume she's somebody's agent, until we find out differently.  Watching her will be good practice for the Manticores anyway, much like tomorrow's game."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.  "Interesting bet.  I assume you have something planned, or else it looks too easy for the Manticores."

James glanced sharply at the headmaster as he was reminded about the spells.  "We do.  In fact, you might want to watch the fun.  Although, I have to say our trick isn't as good as the one up your sleeve, Professor."

Dumbledore sighed.  "I had not realized the depths of your paranoia, or the retention you have, or I would have been more circumspect about using that knowledge.  I trust you will keep it a secret?"

James nodded his assent even as he gave the Professor a sly smile.  "Of course, although I will be trying to shield Manticore Hall."

Professor Dumbledore smiled faintly.  "I had expected no less, and I trust you will not abuse your knowledge of those spells.  They are for the Headmaster's use, not paranoid Manticore Leaders."

James sighed, but shrugged.  "Since I haven't even found the spells yet, it's a moot point, but I won't use them."  He changed the subject before Dumbledore could specify no Manticores using the spells.  "Sir, what do you know about Drake Rohan?"

Professor Dumbledore looked at Tiffany.  "His father is Richard Rohan."

Tiffany stiffened, and her eyes went flat.  James looked through her memories.  When he'd finished with that he groaned.  Richard Rohan was a type of author.  He wrote "expose" books.  A few years ago, he'd written one about Harry and the Voldemort war.  When it came out, Ginny and about half of the Weasleys had to be restrained from hunting him down and stuffing the book down his throat.

Rohan had taken half-truths, rumours and pure fantasy and written a book implying that the friends, Harry, Ron and Hermione were 'closer' than most friends, and used the rest to create a 'biography' of Harry that was quite bizarre.  Hermione had used the book as the base for her fourth book, "Inside the Voldemort war, a survivor's tale."  She had pointed out each error, every mistake and straight out lie, giving the proof as she went.  Her book had made Rohan a laughingstock, and cost him his job at the Daily Prophet.

Since then, Rohan was forever trying to prove any slanderous thing that people brought him about the heroes of the Voldemort war.  He had spied on them, dug through their trash, tried to set them up, and was now in fact, required to stay at least fifty meters from any member of the Weasley or Potter families.  He also couldn't enter a building they were in, or come within fifty meters of their dwellings.  This had eliminated his spying, but he was still trying to cause trouble to them.

James closed his eyes and considered this development.  He reached for Rose, and found her getting ready for bed.  _"You've got the Manticores tomorrow, so you'll have to deal with this.  You need to get a hold of all the Manticores as soon as possible."_  James explained about Drake, and who his father was.  _"So until we know his father isn't using him in another of his schemes, I don't want any Manticores talking to him at all."_

Rose sent her agreement and a question back.  _"What do we do if he's already talking to the Manticores in Hufflepuff?"_

James was thinking about the same thing, and beginning to get frustrated.  _"There isn't anything we can do.  We should have broken the links up, for communication across all the Houses, but we didn't.  Since we didn't, and we don't have any other means of commo with them," _James paused, as he thought about their options.  _"We'll just have to see what happens in the morning, and deal with it then.  I think we can contain him though."_

James spent a minute telling Rose about a couple of minor things he wanted the Manticores to do tomorrow, while he thought about the problem, that they had right now.  _"We have to set up some type of commo between the Houses.  I would feel a lot better if I could talk to the Hufflepuffs right now.  Gryffindor can talk to Slytherin, via Daniel and the Hydra link, and the Dragon link connects Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, but we need to have commo with everyone."_

James had been talking aloud as he spoke to Rose, so that Professor Dumbledore had an idea of what was going on, but the headmaster actually had a couple of ideas for James at that point.  "You might," Dumbledore suggested, "try the Ghosts or House Elves.  They can go anywhere in Hogwarts, and some of the Ghosts are quite helpful, if they're properly approached."

James passed that on to Rose, even as Tiffany reminded the Headmaster that the House Elves couldn't enter Manticore's lab room.  "That's becoming annoying too.  Emma's experiments are getting messy, since the Crazy Yank is funding her potion experiments."

Dumbledore looked at James.  "Emma has, I believe, turned herself and Hangeld into wolf-people, tree-people, and large rocks.  She has changed their shape, size or color so many times that I have a note here from Madame Potter, stating the hospital wing's intention to ignore anything they do to themselves, unless they don't have hands to fix it, as with the rock thing."

James had finished talking to Rose, and was smiling blissfully.  "I know.  She's already saved me a fortune in prank research, and that's why I'm funding her.  "Flower Children" and "I am a Werewolf" are selling quite well, and we have good expectations for the "Rockaway" prank next month."

Professor McGonagall shook her head.  "You're in school, leading sixty students in your project, learning the information you're teaching them just one step ahead of them, and still you continue the pranks.  I truly do not understand that."

James shrugged.  "It's simple.  The Green Flower funds this project of ours.  The more pranks we have, the more money we have to draw on, and money is power.  That applies to Wizards as well as Muggles, Muggles are simply more open about it."

Professor Dumbledore had known of course, that the Lab was hidden, but he had not considered that it might be hidden from the House Elves.  He spent a few minutes trying to find the room using various spells and items.  He was aware of James watching him avidly, trying to see if he could pick up a new spell or two, but Professor Dumbledore wasn't worried about that right now.

He finally stopped, and frowned.  "I had not realized that the room was that well hidden.  I know where it is, and I still cannot tell it is there."

Professor McGonagall was confused.  "Pardon me, but are you saying they made part of Hogwarts disappear?"

Tiffany explained about the room they had converted into a Lab/research area, and how James had tied it to a Shaman spell, so that only the people that gave blood to the spell could find the room.  "Basically, he simply made it Unplottable, unless you are part of the spell."

James nodded.  "Actually, most Shamans could find it fairly quickly, but there are only two people in Hogwarts that know the Shaman magic.  Since I trust both of them, I didn't bother with any further concealment."

Professor McGonagall looked at him.  "So you and Rose are the only two that could find the room if something went wrong?"

James grinned, but shook his head.  "Not Rose.  She was studying the Medicine Woman things, not Shamanism.  Tiffany though, knows everything I know about it."

The Professors pursued the Shaman question.  Professor McGonagall asked, "What does Rose do with her studies?"

James put his hands up.  "I don't know.  Her Medicine is a different thing, and strictly for women.  I don't know anything about it, other than she deals with areas of magic I don't.  She covers Fertility, both animal and plant, Healing, Seeking and Seeing, both the future and at great distances, and herbal studies."

Professor Dumbledore asked, "what does Shamanism cover then?"

James looked up at the ceiling.  "Wards, bindings, Totems, the Spirit World, Defensive and Offensive magic."

The two professors looked at each other, and back at James.  "What kind of offensive magic?"  was the next question.

James frowned slightly, and sighed.  He made a strange little gesture, as if he was drawing a knife from a sheathe at his waist, and suddenly, there was knife in his hand.  Dumbledore saw a classic Bowie style knife, with a blade that glowed a bluish-gray.

The Professors stared at the knife.  Everyone in the room, including the portraits could feel the magic that radiated from the knife.  James unconsciously fell into the tones he used when lecturing Manticore about something.  "This is a simple weapon.  It's formed of raw magic, and is not real, like a steel knife is.  It cannot cut wood, paper or anything material.  It will wreak havoc on Muggle electrical or electronic systems, Magical wards or other cast spells, and living bodies."

He cleared his throat and continued.  "As you know, a spell is a framework that makes a piece of reality work the way you want it to, such as transforming a pillow into a pig.  This will cut that framework, destroying the spell, if it's stronger than the spell; if it's not stronger, then the knife will be absorbed into the spell, making the spell that much stronger.  It works the same way on Muggle electronics.  Computer chips just fry at the touch of magic, and so do circuit boards."

Professor Dumbledore was more interested in the part James had left out.  "What does it do to living bodies?"

James sobered, and put the knife away, much as he had created it.  "Passed though an arm or leg, it causes paralysis for anywhere from an hour to a week.  It does the same thing passed anywhere through the body except the head or heart, and for much the same reason it disrupts Muggle things.  The body is a finely tuned electrical system.  Electrical impulses carry the messages of the body everywhere, and this will disrupt that network."

The Professors waited, staring at James until he sighed.  "Passed through the brain or heart, it disrupts them for up to twenty minutes."

"Up to twenty minutes?" said Professor McGonagall dryly.  "Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't you be dead, and 'disrupted' forever?"

James shook his head.  "If you're lucky, CPR and a couple of other Muggle medical things can keep you technically alive until your heart or brain starts working again."

And if you're not lucky, as you put it?"  asked Professor Dumbledore quietly.

James looked at the Professors, and his eyes, and Tiffany's eyes were haunted.  "If you're not lucky, you're dead, yes.  I have to say though, that it would have to be a damn important thing before I'd use this on a person.  When I was taught to make it, Rolling Thunder, my instructor, made me stab a deer with it."  James closed his eyes, and Tiffany put an arm around him.  "The knife you see, is formed of magic, and held in that shape by my will.  If I stop thinking about it, or let it go it disappears.  When you stab something, you can feel it, in a vague way.  I felt that deer's brain quit, and it's beyond words."  James was shivering.  Dumbledore asked quietly if James knew anymore offensive magic.  "No, Sir, I'm only an apprentice, the higher level magics won't be taught to me until I pass the Shaman tests."

Albus Dumbledore smiled faintly.  "That relieves me no end."

James and Tiffany stared at him, not expecting even that gentle teasing.  James recovered, smiling at the Professor.  "You could help me with my studies, Sir, if you and Fawkes would consent to me working with Fawkes."  Fawkes raised his head and fixed an eye on James, even as Professor Dumbledore invited further explanation.  "Fawkes is a Phoenix, a living representation of the Firebird, one of the strongest totem beings.  Working with Fawkes would greatly increase my Totem Bonding skills."

"I would rather," Dumbledore said dryly, "you didn't bond with my Familiar."

"It's not that kind of bonding, Sir.  It's a senses thing, allowing me to see the world through Fawkes's senses.  It can't be held for more than an hour or so."  James smiled at a thought, and Tiffany grinned.  "I've been working with my owl, Tammarrion, but she's a lesser Totem, and I've done as much as I can with her."

Professor McGonagall had seen the smiles.  "I don't understand what's so amusing about that."

Tiffany's face was red as she explained.  "Let's just say that the other denizens of the castle do some strange things when they think all the living are asleep."

Professor McGonagall stared at the pair.  "I think I will leave it at that.  I'll probably sleep better tonight."

James continued the conversation.  "Anyway, I've done all I can do with a lesser Totem, and now I need a greater Totem, or a mythical Totem.  Fawkes is a mythical Totem."  James looked up hopefully.  "Unless you will let me get a Dragon."

Professor McGonagall had a coughing fit, and the headmaster's eyes widened slightly.  "Private ownership of Dragons is forbidden."  The headmaster reminded James.

James grinned impishly.  "True.  However, under Ministry of Magical Creatures rules, an educational facility may keep one Dragon for "research and educational purposes".  I'm sure Hagrid would be happy to take care of it for you."

The Headmaster considered the idea of letting James and Hagrid have a dragon on the grounds for almost three seconds.  "No, I don't think so."

James sighed in mock disappointment.  "I didn't think so, but I thought I'd ask.  How about a bear?"

Professor Dumbledore looked over his glasses at James.  I'll consider that.  I'll speak to you about it in a week or so."  The four finished their discussion, and the students left.

"Albus, you're not seriously thinking of letting them have a bear on the grounds."

"My dear Minerva," said Albus, "compared to some of the things Hagrid has tried to keep, a bear would be harmless."

"Not to mention" he said, after a minute's thought.  "I would rather James kept the habit of asking me before he brings dangerous or powerful things on the grounds."

Professor McGonagall frowned, and she thought of something from the last couple of moths of last year.  "There was a certain rise, in the number of spells the students in Manticore knew after they joined.  Why is that?"

Professor Dumbledore smiled faintly.  "I would imagine that James pushed them into studying as hard as he does.  Plus, having the seventeen volumes of the Pendragon clan spellbooks to study would be a great inducement to study."

 "There's only thirteen Pendragon books," Professor McGonagall said, before catching the look on Albus's face as he handed her a book.  "Aren't there?"  She looked at the book in her hands.  Bound in black leather, it had the rising dragon symbol of the Pendragons, and the number 16 on the spine.  She looked at Professor Dumbledore.  "I'm almost afraid to ask how they got these."

Professor Dumbledore smiled slightly.  "Simple.  Mary Evans was born Marilyn Pendragon."  Professor McGonagall frowned.  She should know that name for some reason, and then it hit her.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but are you saying that the Evans's mother is the Pendragon's missing heir?  The one that everyone has been seeing everywhere for the last twenty years?"  At the headmaster's agreement, she lowered her head into her hands.  "You are quite aware what will happen if anyone finds out we have Pendragon blood here, aren't you?  Media, sightseers, people wanting to meet them, use them, all kinds of trouble."

She looked up at Albus suddenly.  "You said once that you were considering giving James his own House.  Is that still an option?" she asked plaintively.

Dumbledore smiled gently.  "Can you really see James as a Househead?"

The Transfiguration Professor rubbed her eyes with one hand as she considered the thought of James Evans with the authority of a Househead.  The image made her shudder.  "Then can I take a Sabbatical for the next six years?"

Professor Dumbledore was looking into the distance.  "My dear Minerva, why would you miss this?  For once, we have advance warning of the evil, and we're not walking into the situation like Voldemort, where we lost so many people because we didn't know about him."  He sighed.  "At least tomorrow should be interesting.  I would be careful about moving around tomorrow though."  At the Professor's quizzical look, Dumbledore smiled.  "James and Tiffany against all of Manticore?  I'll bet all my wool socks that there are going to be pranks everywhere tomorrow."  Professor Dumbledore didn't know it, but that statement was going to become successful prophecy.


	14. 2nd Year, Chapter 2

**_Prophecy, 2nd Year_**

**_Chapter Two_**

James and Tiffany were very busy for the rest of the night.  James had plans for the Manticores that would be looking for them involving a great number of pranks.  Since he didn't want to get any students just wandering around, he tied all the disks he laid out to the Manticore links.  Anytime someone with a link came in range of the disks, the disk would activate.  James was busily strewing the disks in everyplace he thought a Manticore would search for them tomorrow.

Tiffany was outside, at the top of the North tower.  She was placing a strange 'Do-hickey' (Tiffany grinned; she'd found that word in James's memories and it was just too funny.) that James thought of as a "Three-dimensional Holographic Image Inducer", and looking up all the different words and terms had kept Tiffany busy for more than an hour.

It was a simple toy really.  You took a wizard picture, in this case, one of James and Tiffany flying, put it in the holder, and set the activation wards.  When the wards went off, the picture would be recreated at pre-assigned places, and look like the real thing.  The image would seem to come out from one place, fly around a bit, and go behind another building.  James had already planted one in the main stairwell in Hogwarts.

The 'Do-hickey' had been created by one of Cumulus's businesses for advertising, but James and Rose had seen the prank potential instantly.  Tiffany was looking up more things in James's head.  He had set the one inside to mirror a Muggle cartoon he'd seen.  The images of James and Tiffany, (Walking this time.) would come out of a door, go down a hallway or staircase, and go in a door.  When the pursuers got to the door, the images went in, the images would come out of another door somewhere else and do it again.  Tiffany saw 'Bugs bunny' and 'Elmer Fudd' doing it in one of the cartoons James remembered.  That led Tiffany to other cartoons, and one that James only dimly remembered.  _"James, could we make a disk of these cartoons?"_

James was running around still setting traps.  He looked at what she was seeing, and the picture in Tiffany's imagination.  _"That's a wonderful idea, but we can't use it as a Green Flower prank."_

_"Why not?  It is not like most Wizard born would recognize them, and the few Muggle born would think it's funny."_  James sighed and began trying to explain 'copyrights', 'trademark infringement' and various other things to Tiffany, when he barely understood them himself.

By 0100 in the morning, the traps were set and James and Tiffany went down to the kitchens to have a word with Dobby about the coffee for Lisa.  The pair hated going to the kitchens.  Somehow, the House-elves could see the Soulbond.  They would gather around the two, staring at them wide-eyed and silent.  Having a hundred House-elves staring silently at you was very unnerving.  On the plus side, when they could get one of them to stop staring and listen, the House-elves couldn't do enough for the 'One in Two' as they called James and Tiffany.  Having made the deal with Dobby for coffee and spoken to the senior House elf about finding an unattached Elf to use in Manticore Hall, they got a bit of sleep before the game began.

Dawn found James and Tiffany in their first hiding spot.  They had four more in case the Manticores actually found them, but James was counting on the simplicity of the site to keep them safe.  He had actually given Sonya two clues last night, but James was certain they had gone unnoticed.

Of course, if Rose remembered reading 'The Purloined Letter' last year, when the twins had gone though a brief mystery reading phase, then they were in trouble.  All of the hiding places were based on that idea.

Breakfast found Rose giving instructions to the Team leaders in the Hall.  Rose and Adam had been up late into the night, making plans for today.  They had broken the teams up, so that they had ten groups of people searching.  The team leaders stayed with Rose, and each group of searchers had at least one linked person, so they had commo with the control group.  Each group was instructed to find, and maintain contact without losing the two until the other groups arrived.

Rose and Chimera had shielded the links to the Soulbonded pair while they laid out their plans, and when they were finished, Rose opened her shields looking for James.  The tidal wave of emotions pouring through the link nearly floored her before she got her shields back up.  She lightened the shields, examining the surge that beat on her shields.  "Don't open to them," she warned Chimera, "They're in the rapport, and wide open."  Melissa tried her Empathy, but it was just as bad, if not worse.

Adam was not surprised.  "I knew they'd have something in mind to block the links.  Set the teams to looking."

Rose was looking at Lisa, who was not only awake at an hour she hated, but alert.  "Why are you so cheerful this morning?" she demanded.

Lisa smiled, an event that had never happened before 1000.  "That darling Dobby brought me a whole pot of coffee this morning.  I nearly kissed him."

Rose tried not to picture that, even as Chimera made notes to do nice things for Dobby as long as he kept bringing Lisa the coffee.

With everything in place, the team left on their assigned missions and the hunt was on.  Every inch of Hogwarts was searched, and then searched again.  The early reports of the couple being seen in the stairwell were optimistic, until three different groups reported seeing them in three different places at the same time.  Rose took the command group to the stairways, and since she suspected what she'd find, the 'Do**-**hickey' was quickly found.

Along the way, the Manticores also found the traps James had laid everywhere last night.  Soon there were multi-colored and shaped Manticores running around everywhere.  Some had strange odors rising from them, and a few were actually glowing.

Emma's well-known fearlessness was working against her this morning.  She'd triggered at least nine different booby-traps, and was currently an orange and pink striped ape with purple polka dots.  The facts that she smelled like roast turkey and was only one meter tall was not improving her mood any.

By 0900, the whole school was aware of the game, and groups of students were everywhere, watching the fun.  When the searchers that went outside first saw the flying images, they were annoyed enough to pursue the images.  The next team found them stuck fast to the ground, dressed only in diapers, while an image of James lectured them on self-control and the dangers of chasing a fleeing enemy.  It took nearly two hours to find that image inducer, and by the time it was found, almost every Manticore had triggered at least one trap.

Sonya Gebbs and Ron Stone were the only ones that had not been caught yet.  The Manticores broke for lunch, although Rose and Adam didn't eat much.  They were busy refining the search plans in light of the traps and what they'd covered already.

Halfway through lunch, Rose felt James pushing at the shields over their twinbond.  She opened them carefully.  _"Heya Sister mine, how goes your day?"_ James' voice was cheerful.  Rose's answer was short, and not nearly as cheerful.  She felt his laughter, and his next comment made her swear again.  _"Anyway, we just thought you'd like to know that that we're moving, and you'll have to start all over again."_

Rose's verbal reply soured her milk, caused the Manticores to back away from her, and a portrait that spoke Lakota to faint.  At the head table, Albus Dumbledore was very glad that no people in the school could understand what Rose was saying.  The Headmaster spells that allowed him to listen to anything said in a public area of Hogwarts also translated it into the native tongue of the Headmaster.  He recognized some of what Rose was saying as having a Borderer's feel, and concluded that the twins must have learned to curse from Alexander.  He winced slightly at one phrase, implying that James was a homosexual necrophilic with bestiality tendencies.  He decided he'd have a quiet word with Rose about her language, even if only he could understand her.

At the Gryffindor table, Lisa was staring at Rose in confusion.  This was a James type outburst, and not at all like the quieter Rose.  Acting on a hunch, she pulled her wand and cast a _'finite incanteum'_ at Rose.  Rose stopped cursing abruptly.  She blinked, and then gave a short curse, with was more her style.  She started feeling around her chair, and came up with a disk, marked with the winged flame.  She turned it over, and read the markings on the other side.  "It's an _'Emotional Overload'_ prank.  It intensifies whatever emotion you're feeling when it activates."

The Manticores relaxed, as they realized that Rose was not going to suddenly explode on them.  Some of them nearly exploded though, after Rose relayed her conversation with James.

Adam was cursing now.  "We should have thought of that, and left sentries.  We could have taken turns coming to lunch."

After lunch, an angry and very determined group of Manticores set to searching with revenge in their hearts.  The laughter from the other students didn't help any, and the various plans in their heads would have made Voldemort run away in fear.  With those attitudes, it's probably a good thing that Manticore didn't find the duo before the sun went down.

They went to dinner, sourly anticipating James and Tiffany's remarks and jokes.  In the main Hall, the two had not shown up by the time the dinner started and Rose lightened her shields again, trying to attract James's attention.  The rapport was so heavy that she had to rebuild her shields.  She lightened them slightly, feeling the rapport beating on her shields as she tried to touch James.  When nothing worked, she realized what had happened.  James and Tiffany had sunk so deeply into the rapport that they couldn't break out of it.

_"James and Tiffany are lost in the loop,"_ she reported to Chimera.  _"Melissa, get the Marauder's Map from our room, and meet me in Manticore Hall."_  The two girls left the table, while the rest of Chimera passed the news to the Manticores.

At the head table, Dumbledore had already noted the absence of the hidden pair.  Rose and Melissa's sudden departure, and the speed at which they were moving told him something was wrong.  What happened next confirmed that.  After they passed the news to the rest of Manticore, Chimera got up, moving just barely slower than the girls had been.  A second later, Mercy followed, and Phoenix followed her.  Hydra and Sphinx got up, and that was the end, as the rest of Manticore followed them.  In just under two minutes, all the Manticores were gone.

Albus turned the Main Hall over to Professor McGonagall, and followed them up to Manticore Hall.  When he got there, he took a minute to look around.  He had not been in here since he created Rose's window for her, and he was mildly surprised at the amount of work that had been done.

The main room had bookcases along three walls, with just three gaps, where the Lab and bathroom doors were.  The last wall, was covered with charts and formulas, some of them Wizard stuff, like the fifty basic magical herbs, and others being some sort of Muggle things he wasn't familiar with.

There was also Rose's window in that wall, near the corner, and right above Chimera's table.  Dumbledore smiled faintly at the window.  Unless she was writing, Rose preferred to sit in a windowsill.  Manticore Hall however, was an interior room, with no windows.  James had approached Professor Dumbledore the year before, and the result was a window overlooking the Forbidden Forest.  Since it was a magical view, the fact that the Forbidden Forest was on the other side of the castle didn't matter.  When James had moved the tapestry that he'd covered it with, and Rose had first seen the window, she'd stared at it for a minute.  Then she'd absently kissed Professor Dumbledore's cheek without a word.  A minute later, a number of cushions had appeared in the sill, and Rose was happily fluffing them.

"Sir, would you care to join us?"  While the Headmaster had been looking around, Rose had seen him, and was now standing at his elbow.  She offered him a chair and swept the maps and lists that were left over from the day's hunt off their table.

Every team had their own table, although Phoenix actually had two, and Chimera's was big enough for fifteen people.  Melissa came in the Hall about then, and laid a battered scroll on the table.  Dumbledore recognized the Marauder's Map.  Rose touched it with her wand, and muttered the charm that activated it.  "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."  She watched the Map for a minute and then looked up.  "According to the Map," she announced, "They're in this room right now."

A murmur started in the Hall, and everyone was looking around.  Professor Dumbledore looked around again.  The only things in the Hall were the bookcases and the tables.  He didn't see anyplace for a Niffler to hide, let alone two people.

Rose still had her wand in her hand after using it on the Marauder's Map, and she looked up suddenly.  She pointed her wand at the highest part of the ceiling and cast the _"Finite Incanteum" _spell twice.  As the Manticores and Professor Dumbledore watched, a curious sight was revealed.

High above the floor, just below the ceiling, hovered two stationary Broomsticks with some sort of netting strung between them.  James and Tiffany were lying face to face in the netting, and James's upper hand was running a brush through Tiffany's hair in an automatic motion.

Rose sighed as she looked at the twosome.  "You know," she said in a conversational tone that did nothing to disguise her relief, "We could leave them there."  The Manticores turned to stare at her in surprise.  "Think about it," she explained.  "We spent all day looking for them, and they've been in the Hall all along.  James is not going to let us forget that for at least a year."  She looked at the pair hovering at least five meters off the floor.  "Does anyone have a Broomstick in the Hall right now?"

There were several Broomsticks in the Hall, and Rose had Lucy Berger, a fifth year Hufflepuff from the Unicorn team, fly up there.  "Just take the brush from James's hand, and see if that works."  Rose advised.  Lucy manoeuvred into position and took the brush.  Nothing happened for a minute, as James's hand continued its repetitious motions, and then it stopped moving.  James and Tiffany stretched.

The Manticores watched quietly, and Professor Dumbledore could nearly feel the amusement in the room.  James and Tiffany had been lying face to face, and now James spoke, his voice heavy with the pleasure they had been experiencing.  "I think I dropped the brush again."

Tiffany's voice was equally languorous.  "That's ok, we'll just improvise."  They smiled at each other, and snuggled closer together, totally unaware of their audience. James was stroking Tiffany's hair when Rose interrupted them.

"Jeez, James.  Will you two get a room?"

James looked down through the netting, which Rose recognized as a hammock.  He surveyed the Manticores, raised an eyebrow to see the Headmaster, and finally focused on Rose.  Tiffany had taken one look at their audience, and was now hiding her face in James's robes, and he could feel the heat of her blush.

"Why?  As you should be able to tell by now, this works just fine."  James and Tiffany began separating, and descended from the ceiling as the older Manticores were eyeing the hammock and broomsticks with great interest.

James O'Neill, a fifth year Ravenclaw in the Sphinx team, spoke up first.  "James, I'll forget every prank you've ever played for a copy of the spell that holds the Broomsticks still, and for one of those things you were lying on."  Carrie Newton, another fifth year Ravenclaw in Phoenix blushed.  The two of them had been going out for over a year, and they'd been caught snogging at least a dozen times.

James grinned as he landed.  "Why would you need to do that, when the spell is part of Manticore's training?"  His voice slipped into his lecturing tone.  "I keep telling you.  The successful warrior thinks outside the box, improvises, adapts and overcomes obstacles in his or her path."

Emily Kitchen looked up from her ever-present book.  "It's the _"Consisto"_ spell isn't it?  The one we'll be using next year to hold still during ambushes."  (A/N: Consisto = Standstill, be at a. Source: Oxford Latin minidictionary, 1997)

James bowed in her direction.  "Correct.  I'm glad to see somebody is studying."

The Headmaster sighed, as he pictured thirty Manticorian couples hanging from the ceiling of Hogwarts like invisible bats.  "Since everyone seems to be in good health, I suggest you return to dinner."  That suggestion was met with enthusiasm, and the Manticores were headed back downstairs nearly as quickly as they came up.

Professor Dumbledore came up to Chimera in time to hear the end of a conversation between Rose and James.  "Fair enough sister mine.  You don't mention that we got lost in the rapport, and I won't mention that we spent the whole day literally in the room with you, and you couldn't find us."  Making sure the rest of Manticore was gone, Chimera got ready to go.

Professor Dumbledore walked with them.  "I don't suppose you'd discourage the use of that spell, would you?" he asked James, but Tiffany answered.

"No, he won't.  I won't let him."  Tiffany blushed furiously at the Professor's look, but held her ground.  "We're taking a big part of their lives, Sir, and they deserve whatever happiness they find along the way.  Some of them aren't going to survive to find any afterward."  She paused, and thought.  "If it becomes a problem with a couple, we will naturally talk to them."

Professor Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling again.  "I hope, Miss Potter, that you do not have cause to regret those words."

All of Chimera felt the glee that rose in Tiffany.  She smiled hugely, and said, "Calculated Risk, Professor."  She giggled, and confided to the air.  "I've been waiting months to be able to say that."  Chimera was laughing as they entered the Main Hall, and even the Headmaster smiled to hear James's favourite expression from Tiffany.

They made dinner in time for almost all to eat their fill, although Hangeld was still a little hungry.  Being half-Giant, and a growing boy, he was nearly always hungry, and Emma swore he had a bottomless pit for a stomach.  James took pity on him, and handed him two Muggle things.

Hangeld inspected them curiously.  "What exactly is a 'Snickers', and why are they 'King-sized?" he asked as he tried to figure out how to open them.

James shrugged as he showed Hangeld how to open the wrappers.  "I don't know why they are called Snickers, but they're king-sized because they are twice the size of a normal Snickers."

Hangeld took a bite of one, and chewed it.  "Not bad.  I was afraid I'd have to eat the last of father's rock candy tonight."

The rest of the group laughed.  Hagrid's rock candy had been known to break real rocks, and could be used as a doorstop, since it was impervious to weather.  Eating it was a Gryffindor secret.  They used it to get out of a class they weren't ready for, as eating it usually meant a trip to the Mediwing to have teeth fixed.

Late that night, after everyone else was in bed, James and Tiffany were sitting in the Gryffindor common room.  Tiffany was reading, and James was watching her.  They had been Soulbonded for a year and a day now.  They were twelve by the calendar, but the aging had their bodies at fourteen, and both of them were beginning to feel the pull of puberty's hormones.

James was watching Tiffany**; **something about her face was becoming fascinating to him, and he could sit and watch her for hours at a time.  An idle thought crossed his mind.  He looked at Tiffany again, and was wondering how people kept from bumping noses when they kissed.  He was trying to picture the two of them kissing, when _"Do you mind?"_ came across the Soulbond.

James blushed a deep red as he realized that he'd been daydreaming about kissing, and well, maybe a bit more than kissing Tiffany, and she could hear every thought.  _"Sorry Greeneyes, I didn't mean to do that."_

_"Mother was right, that is all boys think about."_

James grinned at her.  _"No it's not, or you wouldn't be complaining about my dreams."_

Tiffany blushed as he reminded her of the latest problem they were finding with the Soulbond.  Tiffany was definitely not ready for the sexually explicit dreams of a boy going through puberty.  _"You can't say anything, you have a bigger reaction to that thing."_

James shuddered.  Tiffany had reached puberty over the summer, and began bleeding.  She'd had two of them so far, and the whole feeling of bleeding, the side affects and the pads had James freaking out.  _"Greeneyes, we're going to have to talk to somebody about this.  Melissa means well, but she just doesn't know enough yet."_

_"I know, but who?  It's not like anybody has ever done this before you know."_  Tiffany was blushing still, and with his thoughts turned towards the'Monthly Thing', as James called it, his face was matching hers.  _"So whom would we talk to?"_

James shrugged and smiled at Tiffany.  _"I thought I'd let you find out.  Melissa is an Xavier after all, she should know somebody who can help, or know somebody who knows somebody at least."_  Tiffany had to concede that James had a point.  The Xavier clan had been Mediwizards and Healers for sixteen hundred years.  Widely acknowledged as the finest medical experts in the Wizard world, even their Squibs were sent to Muggle medical colleges, so they could bring back new information for the vast pool of clan knowledge.

Tiffany nodded as she followed his thinking.  _"I'll talk to her tomorrow."_

The next morning found all the Manticores out doing PT before breakfast.  PT would be six days a week, just like anything else, with only the mandatory day off that had been decreed the year before.  They exercised as teams, and there was a friendly, but fierce competition to be the best in the monthly PT tests.  Hangeld usually took the strength part of the test, but he was too slow in the run to take the over all standings.  The rest of Chimera was still to young to compete against the fully developed muscles of the older students, and Arthur Weasley, Patrick Cornwell and Alex Grunnion usually swapped the Honors for the men, depending on who had the better day that month.

Honors for the women had gone to the same girl every time so far, Michele Flint.  She was a seventh year Hufflepuff in the Dragon team, and was a Muggle born.  She had been into exercise before James and Rose had come, and had a large head start physically on the rest of the women.  Debra Valentine and Ariel Fairstone, of Ravenclaw and Gryffindor though, were catching up quickly.

After breakfast, Manticore went to work.  James talked to Jerrick about May-ling and Drake, and Jerrick was hard at work in minutes.  Tiffany set Emily to researching eaves dropping spells, and sat down for a quiet talk with Melissa.  James was reading a book on tactics and looked up to find an hour had passed.  He looked around the Hall, and stopped when he saw Melissa sitting in Rose's windowsill.  He looked at Rose, and she was writing something at the table, right by the sill.  She looked up at Melissa and laughed at something Melissa had sent over a private link.

Rose had caught one of the Finnigan twins in her sill about a month before the end of last year, and for the next month, since neither of them would admit to being the one she caught, she had hexed both of them every time she saw them.  Finally, they had come to James, to ask her to stop.  She had never given them a chance to apologize, and there was a rumour going through Manticore that she was researching a person-to-pillow transfiguration that would be permanent.  Chimera were the only people who knew that Rose had started that rumour because she felt they'd learned their lesson.

Since then, it had been accepted that only James and Rose could sit in her windowsill.  James frowned as he remembered a line from the Prophecy.  Tiffany caught his thought, and sent a message down the bond. _ "Don't worry about it Yank.  It will happen or it won't, but it won't be soon in any case.  They're still a couple of years from those decisions."_

_"Maybe so, but given the way people are, if it does happen, we need to be prepared." _ James was worrying again, Tiffany saw.

_"Dude, like totally take a chill pill.  It's like way not cool." _ James winced, but had to laugh as Tiffany tried to imitate the California Surfer accent and slang she'd found in his head.

_"I say.  Your words are quite improper for an educational society.  I think we should be right to exclude you." _ It was Tiffany's turn to laugh, as James mangled an upper class British accent as badly as Tiffany had the surfer one.

James got up, and was walking around the Hall to stretch stiff muscles when he heard some of the Manticores talking about the new Winged Flame signature he and Tiffany were using.  He joined them, explaining how combining two signatures meant a couple, unlike the side-by-side signatures that meant people working together.  The Jade Rose and Blue Eagle of the twins was an example.  There were soon a large group of people talking about it, and James had an idea.  He called his owl, and when Tammarrion arrived, sent her off with a note and a small jingling bag.

He entered the lab, and paused to watch the potions area.  The lab was a long rectangular room with the door in the center of one long wall.  There was a two-meter wide walkway there, so that you could more along the whole room without entering each area's wards.  There were six separate areas in the lab.  From left to right they were the Potions lab, the Charms/Wards area, the Armory, the War Wizard area, (Which was empty still; they would not start getting that stuff until next year.) the Transfigurations area and the Library.  Each area had its own Wards, keeping any accidents or mishaps in that area from spilling over to the next.

Looking into the Potions lab, James was quite glad the wards were there.  _"Do you need help, or can you take care of this yourselves?"_

One of the human shaped shrubs in the Potions lab turned to look at him, or at least he thought it did.  There were four human shaped shrubs standing in the Potions lab.  The one looking at him was covered in multi-colored Hyacinths, and the large Hangeld sized mass was a rose bush, although nature had never created such colors for her handiwork.  James didn't recognize the ivy bush or the orchids.  _"No, we've got the antidote brewing already.  Thank you for asking."  _came Emma's voice through the link.  James grinned at her, and asked for a bit of the potion and the antidote.  Emma agreed, and James entered the Charms area of the lab.

James did some quick work, going to the Library once to consult a Pendragon book.  He wrote out the two spells he was using, and posted them on the wall of the Charms lab.  Returning the Pendragon book to the Library, he noted with some amusement that some joker had labelled Emily's favorite chair with her name.  Emily had nearly drooled when she found out about Manticore's restricted section of the Library, safely hidden from the rest of the school in the lab area.  She had spent so much time in here reading the books that James had been forced to limit her reading hours, as she had started ignoring her schoolwork.

Robert and Mary Evans had spared no expense in setting up Manticore with the very best of everything.  All seventeen volumes of the Pendragon spell books were here, along with the Evans clan books, an Auror spell book, and the guides to training War Wizards from both America and Europe.  They shared space with more than twenty other books that James was fairly certain private citizens shouldn't have.  He frowned at the thought of books you shouldn't have, and made a mental note to check the wards around the Codex again tonight.

James went back into Manticore Hall and wandered from table to table talking to the Manticores until Tammarrion returned from Hogsmeade.  He took the pouch she was carrying and looked inside.  He grinned and looked over at the Chimera table where Tiffany was sitting.  She knew what he was doing of course, but let him do it his way.

James spent a minute with Tammarrion, and sent her off to the Owlery where Rose's owl Athena was.  He went to the Chimera table, and sat with Tiffany.  Sonya Gebbs and Debra Valentine were there talking to Rose and Mercy, and that was exactly what James wanted.  "I have a couple of things for you, Greeneyes."  He reached into the pouch and pulled out a silver charm bracelet.  Placing it around her wrist, James told her, "This one is not a romantic gift, merely a friendship thing."  On the bracelet, he placed a small charm, of his blue eagle signature.  When he was done, he smiled at her, and spoke a bit more softly.

"This one though, is not about being friends."  He took a gold chain from the bag, and placed their signature, the winged flame one on it.  He put it around her neck while the other girls watched.  Debra and Sonya were telling their links about it, and by the time Tiffany was wearing both of the gifts, most of Manticore was watching.

James grinned at Tiffany.  "Would you care to do the honors with the next one?"

Tiffany smiled back and held out her hand for the pouch.  She turned to Mercy.  "We have something for you, and I think you'll be able to tell who gave them to you."  She gave Mercy a charm bracelet, and in short order, Mercy had a blue eagle, a crimson flame and a jade rose on her bracelet.

James had consulted with Tiffany and Rose while he was in the Charms lab, and now the two girls gave a bracelet to each of the women in Chimera, except Rose, who got hers from James, as well as Sonya.  All of the bracelets had the trio's charms, and Adam threw a biscuit at James.  "Great.  Not everybody has money to be buying a bazillion charms you prat."

James smirked at him.  "Well, if you had to buy them, I might be worried.  Since they're spells though, and posted in the Charms area, I'm not.  Your only excuse for not giving any person you like a charm is laziness."

Somebody from the back of the crowd spoke up.  "Not everyone has a signature either."

James looked up and shrugged.  "So?  Pick one.  The rules are simple.  One emblem, one color.  If you and somebody else have the same emblem, they have to be different colors.  You can't use House symbols or Team animals and that's it."

"What's the bracelet thing?" came another question from the rear.

"A bracelet charm is a friendship gift, nothing more.  The necklace should be reserved for more intimate friends, as it only holds one charm, and I would assume that the ladies would prefer a combined signature there."  James listened to something Rose was saying in the link, and nodded.  "A team can also give a team signature to a person, but every team member has to agree."

Already, some people were heading for the charms lab, and James watched the Manticores discussing the signatures and charms happily.  _"Mission accomplished, James?"_ asked Tiffany.

_"Not yet Greeneyes.  Giving them a personal signature was only half the game, as you know."_  James needed a personal signature from each Manticore for a project he was working on.  _"Rose, what was the name of that Magicrystal dealer, the one father got that quad set from?" _ James asked her.

James waited while Rose thought. _"Finchly, Jacob Finchly," _she sent. _"Why?"_

James explained what he had in mind.  Rose agreed it would be a good thing, but sent a warning.  _"This is going to take a huge bite out of our funds you know."_

James grimaced.  _"I know, but unless you can find me sixty good radios that work around magic, it's the only thing I can think of."_

Rose shrugged and began writing a letter to their parents.  She outlined what they were doing and what they needed.  She planned to let their father buy the Magicrystals, certain that he could get a better deal and get them quicker.  She thought about what James wanted to do and winced.  This one deal was going to cost more than all of their first year's expenses together.

With Manticore pleasantly occupied picking signatures, or making charms, James went to the team leaders and told them that he would need a list of everyone's signature.  When he was done, he picked up a book about the Voldemort War and began reading.  The book detailed some of the survivor's accounts of how they escaped Voldemort, and the writing was quite graphic.  The Death Eaters had never been known for restraint and the stories of torture and pain were incredible.

_"James will you put that away?  It's disgusting."_  Tiffany was talking to Melissa about that problem again, and she had enough on her mind without James pouring tales of blood and pain into her head.

James grinned as he put the book down.  _"And what would my Lady prefer?  Telepathic horses, Vampire citizens or intelligent empathetic Dragons?"_

Tiffany giggled down the Soulbond at him.  _"Vampire citizens, please."_

Not all of the books in the Hall were Prophecy related.  There was one whole section of Wizard written novels, and a large collection of something Muggles called 'Fantasy' and the Wizard born called humour.  Tales of Vampires as tax-paying citizens, Magical telepathic horses and intelligent Dragons with Empathy could keep any Wizard laughing for hours.  Adam had nearly disappeared for a week when a complete set of Louis L'Amour and Max Brand showed up.  There was also a small, but growing section called 'Science Fiction' and its followers were very avid about it.

Lisa had quietly quashed their plans to built a magically powered moon rocket, pointing out they'd have to take all of the people in each of their links.  She was still watching that group, as they were very intense about their obsession.

There were also a large number of books that nobody was ever seen reading, but that were being worn out anyway.  These books had pictures of muscular, virile men holding women who couldn't seem to stay completely dressed.  James, Rose and Tiffany had been working on a prank with those books, but Melissa had found out about it.

Melissa had calmly informed the trio that if her hands turned red, she would introduce the three of them to a Muggle medical technique called suppositories with the book in question, and then left.  Rose had looked up the medical technique, and they had dropped that prank.

Not all of the Muggle reading was fiction.  'The Art of War', 'The Book of Five Rings' and other classic strategy texts shared space with military manuals like 'FM 7-8: Infantry Platoon and Squad maneuvers' and books on reasoning, logic, traps and ambushes.

Jody Beal, a fifth year Hufflepuff was the Armourer, and responsible for all the weapons and Muggle materials for the Prophecy.  Many people worried about Jody.  He was entirely too ecstatic about the weapons.  Jody had spent the entire summer learning about them, and had magical copies of them that he was forever taking apart and putting back together, usually with his eyes shut.

James was one of the few people that did not worry about Jody's obsession with the weapons.  James understood wanting to excel at something, and Jody, although Wizard born was nearly a Squib.  He knew the spells, but simply lacked the power to work most of them.  Even his '_Winguardium Levosa'_ only worked if the item he was trying to lift weighed less than five or six Kilos.  Jody was hoping to pass the OWLs this year on knowledge.

He was the person people went to when they wanted a particular book from the Muggle world.  Since he was ordering texts, and other Muggle things regularly, it was easy for him to include some fiction as well.

The only puzzle was the romances.  Nobody would admit to buying them, or bringing them into Manticore Hall, but they were there, and they kept growing in numbers.  Adam had once joked that they were actually alive and breeding.  Even Emily, who had been known to read anything that would hold still for her to read, had never been seen reading one of them.

James grabbed one of the Vampire Citizen books, and sat down near Tiffany.  She shifted enough that they were touching, and James began reading.  Adam and Hangeld came over and sat down near the pair.

Hangeld broke the silence.  "What sort of prank are you going to pull at the Ball?"

James looked up, confused.  "What?" he said, before a vague memory of the headmaster saying something about a Ball for Halloween this year.  "Nothing.  It's for third years and up, and pranks are just no fun if you can't observe them working."

Hangeld riposted, "But we can be there, if a third year asked you, or you ask a third year.  Adam and I have already been informed by a couple of girls that they'd say yes if we asked them."

James and Tiffany looked up, startled.  James made a couple of inquiries through the links, as he unconsciously scratched an itch on the back of Tiffany's neck.  "Wait, both of you have been approached about going to the dance, and all the girls, except Tiffany.  Why hasn't anyone asked Tiffany?"  James was mildly upset at this slight to Tiffany, although the thought of her going without him was disturbing.

"Or approached James?" was Tiffany's question as she adjusted something in James's robes that was poking her in the side.  She felt the same way about James.

Hangeld and Adam just stared at the duo for a minute.  "You're joking, right?"  Adam said, still staring at them.  "You two scratch each other's itches, and not even being in Potions can keep you two from touching if you can reach each other."

Hangeld chimed in, "You're stuck with each other anyway.  Nobody in school wants to face James's anger if he doesn't like them asking Tiffany out."

Emma looked at them from the corner of the table.  "Not to mention, the whole idea of asking one of you to do anything without the other one is just too weird."

The two of them thought about that for a few minutes.  Tiffany spoke in mock indignation.  "You mean I'm stuck with this Yank?"

James protested that.  "Hey, I'm the one that has to put up with a Brit that can't speak proper English."

As the two of them started a light-hearted bickering about which of them spoke 'proper' English, Adam caught Hangeld's eye, and made a circling motion at his temple, indicating the couple.  Hangeld nodded his complete agreement that the two were nuts, or bonkers depending on your brand of English.  The two boys noticed the sudden silence and turned back to James and Tiffany.  The two spoke simultaneously.

"Nobody but me calls her nuts."

"Nobody but me calls him bonkers."

They two started reaching for disks, and Adam and Hangeld fled.  As the two left the Hall, James and Tiffany grinned at each other, and started looking for new targets.  Seeing them with disks in hand, and looking around with their UTS grins, most of Manticore suddenly remembered something else they had to be doing, somewhere else.

In just a few short minutes, there were only five Manticores in the Hall.  James and Tiffany crossed to the three remaining people and grinned at them.  "How come you three aren't running?"

Rose grinned at James.  "I know you, and your habits.  If you had really been going to use those disks, nobody would have seen them."

Melissa didn't even look up from whatever she was writing, and James and Tiffany looked at Mercy.

Mercy just smiled at them, then looked at them with big sad eyes.  "You wouldn't use them on me, would you?" she said, adding a tear and a quivering lip to her forlorn look.

James covered his eyes with a hand.  "Oh stop that," he said.

Tiffany was watching their friend's performance.  "Nice work," she congratulated Mercy, "but how do you add the tears on command like that?"

Mercy was airily smug.  "It's a gift."

The girls all giggled as James stuck his tongue out at Mercy.  They chatted awhile longer and ended the day.

The next few weeks passed quietly, with Manticore falling into a routine.  PT, school, Manticore studies, and whatever hobbies the Manticores had.  For Chimera, and the other Manticores that were on house teams, there was Quidditch practice as well.

The charm bracelets became a serious fad among the Manticore ladies, although they never caught on among the men.  Mercy was the only person surprised at the number of charms she received.  By the Halloween Ball, she was on her fourth bracelet, as each bracelet only held 20 charms.  Mercy was a quiet sweet girl, always willing to help anyone, Manticore or not.  The Slytherins were the only people that didn't like her, and they simply ignored her, which she said was still a vast improvement over the way they had treated her before James applied what he called 'Direct Action' to her situation.

Emily and Melissa started a joint project that had James and Tiffany feeling like lab rats, as they were documenting the Soulbond, from the beginning.  Since neither of the researchers had the slightest shred of modesty about what they asked when researching something, some of the blunt and direct questions about bodily changes and effects of puberty left James and Tiffany blushing for days.

James received his list of Manticorian signatures, as well as several packages from various places, and one Sunday, Chimera kicked everyone out of the Lab, and spent the day in there.  Even Jody could feel the amounts of magic they used that day, but hints and even direct questions went unanswered.

Professor Dumbledore didn't let James have a bear, but did allow a wolf.  Hagrid was almost impressed with the wolf, as James had enlisted the help of Martin and Alexander.  They sent him a huge Timber wolf, standing nearly four feet high at the shoulder, and weighing about two hundred and twenty pounds.

Once all the team names in Manticore became common knowledge, Chimera's plan to hide their pranks went straight out the window.  The best they could hope for now was not to be caught planting any pranks.

Two days before the Ball, Dobby brought James two ancient House Elves.  They had been thrown out when they could no longer keep the house of their owners.  James accepted them, and soon Twiggy and Snarf were familiar sights around the Hall.  They could still deal with cleaning the two rooms, and only Rose and Tiffany knew that James would have accepted them even if they couldn't.  James wanted to hunt down the people that had thrown them out after a lifetime of service, and 'do things' to them, as he put it, but the two house elves, being a lot smarter than Dobby, wouldn't tell James who the family was.  James blood bonded them into Manticore and they became the first non-human Manticores.

James had so many quiet requests from Manticores for the Muggle hammocks that he finally just bought one for everybody.  Richard March received his with a sigh.  When Rose, who had given it to him asked what was wrong, they found out that Richard was dating a Muggle girl.  Since they went to different schools, Richard didn't see himself getting much use out of his hammock.  Melissa, when she found out he was dating a Muggle, was full of questions for him.  Did her parents know?  Did she know?  What were they planning on doing if one of their children was a Muggle, and the other a Wizard, and dozens more.

Professor Moody got even with James for the color candy prank by using James to demonstrate a few hexes in class one day.  The pictures circulating school after that were priceless, and everyone had a favourite.  James as a furry snake with donkey ears was a particular favourite with Chimera.

Professor Snape on the other hand, got his revenge by taking points from James every chance he got.  Emma could usually deflect the Professor, as she was the best Potions student in second year.  As long as she followed a Potion recipe, Emma made perfect potions.  Her continual experiments were fast making her and her usual partner, Hangeld, School legends.

She had an incurable urge to tinker with potions, trying to make them better, stronger or different, much as James did with charm spells.  However, if one of James's experiments went wrong, it usually just didn't work.  If Emma's experiments had a choice between not working, and blowing up, they invariably blew up, leaving chaos in their wake.

So far, Emma and Hangeld had been flowers, wolves, rocks, and various things less definable.  They had been so many colors, shapes and sizes that Madame Potter, the MediWitch since Madame Pomfrey had retired at the beginning of the year, was refusing to change them back unless they didn't have hands to do it themselves.

James was so impressed with her experiments that he kept her in supplies on the condition that she give him anything that might make a good prank.

The Halloween Ball was, in everyone's opinion except Peeves, the biggest disaster since the TriWizard's tournament during Harry's stay at Hogwarts.  Chimera, since James and Tiffany weren't going to be there, declined all offers to go, and were in bed, except for James and Tiffany, who were quietly cuddling in Manticore Hall.

With Chimera declining to perform pranks they wouldn't see going off, some twenty-five different Manticores decided to take up the slack, and perform a prank.  They planted their pranks, and having all been trained the same way, they all set their pranks to go off at the same time.

Promptly at midnight, twenty-five pranks went off simultaneously.  The result of so much magic, and the affects of so many spells created a magical surge that nearly overloaded the Main Hall and even caused the ceiling to flicker.  Forty students, including fifteen Manticores were caught in the backlash of magic, and the resulting mess took more than four hours to clean up.

Chimera was alerted by one of the Ghosts, and they spent nearly two hours cleaning up after, and undoing various spells.  This event made James give a very long class called 'Coordination'.  It stressed the importance of coordinating your activities with the team members around you.  What really annoyed James though, was being unable to duplicate the misfiring spell or spells combination that made Professor Snape bald for nearly three months.


	15. 2nd Year, Chapter 3

A/N:  Light-hearted holiday fun.  In fact this whole year will be fun and training, because being a nice person, I thought I'd give the Manticores one year of fun and peace before I started killing them all off in third year.  In fact the only violence this year, will not be the actions of a Manticore, even James.

**_Prophecy, 2nd yr. Chapter 3_**

November passed in much the same manner. In early November, Zachary Rollins was caught in Lucy Berger's room. Both of them were caught in their birthday suits, and if it had not been a group of Manticores that caught them, there might have been some serious consequences.

As it was, James gave all of Manticore a lecture on Escape and Evasion, using Zachary's visit to Lucy room as an example of both good and bad. James praised the Dragon team member for his ability to get into the room undetected, and invited him to explain how he did it. Zachary turned the invitation down, saying he might want to use the technique again sometime. The lack of simple precautions thereafter, like locking, silencing and invisibility spells was held up as a bad example of Evasion, and again, James invited Lucy to explain why, an offer that was also declined.

Just before the Holidays started, a half giant Borderer called Blacklegs (because of the black leggings he habitually wore.) showed up, and was easily persuaded to give classes in Borderer and Giant customs, and the terrain of the Border areas. When Sonya Gebbs showed up for the classes, he gave her a strange look, but didn't say anything.

Blacklegs' primary purpose though, was to start teaching Hangeld about Elemental magic. Hangeld soon had the basics down, and all they needed now, was for his type of elemental magic to manifest.

Three days before the Holidays, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor faced off in the first Quidditch Match of the season. After being linked the year before, Ron Stone and the Sphinx team had tried out for the Quidditch team, and been chosen easily. Terry Boot Jr. was the seeker, and the two linked teams had one of the longest matches in Hogwarts history. Ravenclaw used Terry as the Seeker, and with their Chasers and Keeper linked, very few shots got through their defenses. Gryffindor was using the same ideas, but they had Adam to direct from the ground as well, and were slowly pulling ahead. Seven hours and 29 minutes into the game, the Snitch finally made it's appearance, and Tiffany broke off the Wronski Feint she was trying on Terry, and with the superior speed of the Starblade, she caught the Snitch almost before Terry knew it was in sight. The final score was Gryffindor: two hundred and twenty points, Ravenclaw: eighty. The next match would pit Hufflepuff against Slytherin.

Gryffindor was enjoying a novel experience for them this year. With nearly a third of the House too busy doing Manticore things to get in trouble, and that being the more active third at that, Gryffindor was actually tied for the House Cup points lead. A few pessimists thought that wouldn't last, but they were enjoying it while it lasted. James just grinned and said it was a good thing Chimera had stayed out of the Halloween prank disaster. While Manticore had caused the mess, the actual perpetrators had been evenly spread over the houses, so all the houses lost the same amount.

Professor Snape's point revenge on James for the color candy incident was slowing down, but the points he took were more than offset by something that had Chimera very confused. They were all doing equally well in every class, and most of Chimera was doing much better in class work than they normally did. James was actually doing quite well in Potions, which had always been his worst class. James simply didn't have the patience to read and follow detailed instructions. Transfigurations, where you had to use your imagination and will to cause a spell to work was his type of class.  Rose was exactly the opposite, but she was suddenly doing quite well in Transfigurations as well.

Melissa finally admitted she needed help, and sent an Owl to her parents. They sent an elderly Healer named April Erskine, who had made the study of different links her life's work. She put James and Tiffany through a series of tests, then James and Rose, and then all of Chimera. After she had studied the links, and the spells that had created the various links, she gathered Chimera to explain her findings.

James and Rose had adapted a spell to increase the sensitivity of their link. Since when they adapted the spell, they only had the twinbond, they had not limited the spell, or specified a bond to strengthen. When Chimera cast the linking spell, the spell, having the power of all eight to draw on, and two bonds already in place, had linked Chimera using the Soulbond, not the twinbond. That is what increased the power of Chimera's link and why they were doing so well in all their classes. Mediwitch Erskine had found that they could draw on the talents of each person in the link. She thought that with practice and time, they would be able to draw on each other consciously, not just unconsciously as they were doing now.

The second fact about that Chimera link nearly led to blows between Chimera. Chimera's link, unlike the links of the other teams, could not be broken. Between the Prophecy, and the use of the Soulbond as the base for their link, it simply could not be broken, except, April theorized, maybe by death. For nearly a week, while they argued, Manticore watched apprehensively. The Saturday before Christmas James and Rose got permission to use the Room of Requirement, and Chimera spent the day in there. When they came out, they were talking to each other again, and they slowly returned to what passed for normal with them.

While Chimera fought Professor Dumbledore had had several long talks with April, talks that relieved him of a vague worry he'd had since he found out about the Chimera link. James would not be able to use the Chimera link to use Emma's warlock or Hangeld's Elemental magic, because you could only use the link to draw on something if you were capable of it, and both those talents required certain physical things that James simply didn't have.

The Holidays also showed another problem with Manticore. Cumulus paid to bring the families of the Manticores to Hogsmeade for the Holidays, but a few families were starting to wonder why their children never came home anymore, and they had some pointed questions for the Cumulus representative. She was hard pressed to give convincing answers that did not say anything about links and wars.

Families were not the only ones hearing about Manticore. James and Tiffany were of course, mildly famous for the Soulbond, the first one in over a hundred years, and the only one currently in existence. Add that to the pranks, and other stories circulating around school about James, and rest of Chimera, and is it any wonder that the students not in Manticore all had their favorite tales of Manticore? One of the people hearing the stories was Cornelius Fudge, as his grandson was a student at Hogwarts. Carey Fudge was a Hufflepuff, and only knew the Fraternal Order of Manticore cover story about the Educational Society.

Minister Fudge paid a visit to Hogwarts over the Holidays, but several Manticores saw him enter the school, and warned the rest. By the time professor Dumbledore and Minister Fudge got to Manticore Hall, it was a picture of innocent study. Lisa Malfoy and Adam Brooks met the two at the door, and gave a tour, while extolling the virtues of the Order.

They gave a very convincing performance of earnest young students only interested in 'expanding the frontiers of knowledge', a phrase Lisa used without cracking a smile, although Adam had to cough down laughter.

Since the Soulbond was common knowledge, Minister Fudge insisted on meeting James and Tiffany. Lisa led them to Chimera's table, where James, Tiffany, Rose and Melissa were sitting, pretending to study something. (Actually, they were planning a prank.)

Professor Dumbledore was slightly nervous about James, but he was very polite. At least, he was until Minister Fudge said, "It's a pity you had to leave your home to get a good education, but the North American School of Wizardry will get better, after they drop that 'alternative magic' junk. If that shaynenism magic was so good, the natives wouldn't have lost, would they?"

James and Rose stiffened. Having studied that 'shaynenism', and having a Cheyenne grandmother on their father's side, they most certainly did not agree. Tiffany grabbed James's arm, as he was about to pull a disk out of his pocket. _"James, you can't put a donkey's head on the Minister of Magic."_

_"Yes, I could, if you'd let go of my arm. That fat freak just insulted my country, both my peoples and my Shaman magic. Let go, and he'll be lucky to have just the donkey's head."_ Tiffany continued to try to calm James as the Minister said his goodbyes, never even noticing the sudden tension.

On the other side of the table, Melissa was talking just as fast to Rose, who was considering how Fudge would look with a fish's head mounted on his neck.

The Minister and Professor Dumbledore walked away without anybody changing shape. The Minister's parting comments as he left the school however, made Albus Dumbledore wonder if he should hex the blind fool.

"Wonderful group of students you have there Albus, even the two Americans. Fancy my grandson thinking there's something strange about them. It's too bad about them having that Riddle girl, and the Malfoy one, but I guess they had to, under their Charter. You know about that type of person though, and you'll do what needs to be done, eh Albus?"

Professor Dumbledore, Mercy's guardian, and Manticore supporter, blandly informed the Minister of Magic, "Yes, I will do what needs to be done, again."

Minister Fudge put out his hand. "I owe you an apology Albus. I thought this was another of those 'Dumbledore's Army' things, and I was wrong."

The Headmaster took his hand, agreeing that this was vastly different than the DA. For one thing, he reflected dryly, DA had never had one of the largest fortunes in the world to draw on, or such explosive personalities to lead it. Harry Potter had simply never been as obsessed as James Evans, even at the worst of times.

Albus Dumbledore watched the Minister leave, wondering again how the fool had managed to hold on to his job as long as he had. He went back to Manticore Hall in time to watch some of them take down the illusions that had concealed the things they didn't want the Minister to see. He looked at the charts and maps on the wall behind Chimera's table again, waiting for James and Rose to come out of their mental conversation.

The twins had matching expressions of anger and evil glee on their faces, and Dumbledore spared an instant's pity for Fudge. Sometime soon, something embarrassing was going to happen to him. Albus could see that as clearly as if he had Rose's Sight.

"Your minister is somewhat biased." The headmaster turned to see Rose regarding him with eyes that were much cooler than normal for her.

"Cornelius Fudge has several character flaws. Being biased is only one, and not the biggest at that." he replied. Rose nodded, and her eyes lost their focus as she followed paths Albus couldn't see. Dumbledore waited, watching her until she came back to the present.

"No matter. He won't be a problem after the opening of the war," she said, and Professor Dumbledore could almost see her dismiss him, "and Father and James have plans to collar him before then, if necessary."

Professor Dumbledore frowned slightly as he sat in the chair reserved for his use at Chimera's table. "What do you mean, 'collar' him?" he asked.

Rose looked at him, and he could almost hear Robert and James's voices in her next comment. "I think, Sir, that you might be a little upset, were you to know what we would do. We have to assume you love your country as much as we love ours, and we wouldn't want to unduly distress you."

"That whole statement is not reassuring at all you know." he replied dryly, as he watched James scribble a few more notes on a sheet of paper.

"You can figure it out if you try, Sir. Cumulus controls, one way or another, nearly twenty percent of the business in this country, if you count both Wizard and Muggle worlds, and if that fool interferes, we'll pull everything out, and simply not do business here." James looked up as he put the notes he'd been making away.

Professor Dumbledore frowned at James. "You are aware that pulling that many jobs and that much capital out of this country could cause a depression."

"Of course we are. It wouldn't be much of a threat if nothing would happen. Hopefully, freakazoid Fudge will stay blind and stupid until First Strike, and then he won't matter at all." James sighed. "It's not like we want to destroy anyone except the Patient Child after all."

"Mr. Evans. I realize you have some problems with the Minister of Magic. Nonetheless, he is the Minister of Magic, and you will respect the office, if not the man. Is that clear?" Professor Dumbledore's voice was firm and his eyes pinned James.

James looked at him, rebellion showing in his eyes, and then looked away as it faded. "Yes, Sir, I will respect the office." The unspoken statement that Fudge the man would get respect when the sun rose in the west Albus chose to ignore. After all, he'd felt the same way for nearly a quarter century now. He looked around the hall, noting with some surprise that there were a number of non-Manticores in the hall.

He questioned Rose about it, but Emma answered him. "Some of the older Manticores have friends that aren't with us. Cutting all those friendships would be suspicious, so we just watch what we say around them." Emma grinned at James. "Although our resident Noids nearly had heart attacks at first."

James looked up from the notes he was making again. "Hey, even Noids are right sometimes." he protested mildly.

Seeing the quizzical look on professor Dumbledore's face, Lisa spoke. "Noids is just slang for paranoid, and James and Jerrick are our resident Noids."

James cocked an eye in her direction. "If we're so paranoid, why haven't you taken an ad out in the Daily Prophet for people to join us?"

Lisa smiled sweetly. "If I did that, you would get upset with me, and I like my body parts right where they are, thank you."

James looked wounded. "Please, I think I'm just a bit more creative than that."

Professor Dumbledore watched the relaxed teasing with amusement, but he did have some business today. "Has Mr. Clearwater discovered anything about those two students we discussed?"

James went from relaxed to focused in an instant. "Rohan is safe as far as we can tell. He is not a plant of his father's anyway." James reported, "We've got a couple of Manticores keeping an eye on him, but nothing has happened yet."

Dumbledore nodded, and asked about May-ling. James frowned, and started looking around the hall. "Let me get Jerrick for this, I'm not sure I understand it completely."

He caught a Phoenix team member's eye, and signaled for Jerrick to rally at the table. Jerrick slid into a seat a few minutes later, greeting the Headmaster before turning his attention to James. "You wanted me for something?"

"Give the Headmaster your report on May-ling." said James.

Jerrick turned to the professor. "Sir, on paper. May-ling is exactly what her school paperwork says she is, a Muggle born witch from London." Jerrick scratched his chin, and Albus smiled faintly. He'd seen Jerrick's father do the very same thing when he was thinking about something. Apparently, skills weren't the only thing Jerrick was getting from his father. Dumbledore turned his thoughts back to what Jerrick was saying.

My father says her paperwork is perfect, too perfect is the problem." Professor Dumbledore invited an explanation. "Sir, as different people and agencies create new paperwork on a person, human error insures that there will be a mistake or two, here and there. It always happens, and tracking down those little things is a large part of intelligence work. Usually, it's a simple mistake, completely innocent. Sometimes, it's a flaw in somebody's cover." He paused, thinking about it.

"For example, according to the files from America, James and Rose have funded Eco-Terrorists in the Muggle world."

James and Rose stared at him. "We have? When?" asked James.

Jerrick grinned at them. "Do you remember a donation to a group called Nature Preservation?"

Rose nodded instantly. "Yes. They're a group dedicated to saving as much old growth forest as they can, and they saved a large area near our home a year or so ago." She turned to the still puzzled James. "You remember, the whole lumber company thing?"

James winced. "Actually, I've been trying to forget that, so you did get mom to send them something?"

"Yes, she sent them a few dollars." Rose said absently, smiling at the memories of the Unicorn and the lumbermen. James nodded, while sending her a warning about saying anything. He glared at a choking Tiffany, and she hid her face.

Jerrick stared at the twins. " 'A few dollars'?" That is not how I would talk about ten thousand dollars." Most of Chimera and the headmaster stared at Jerrick, not knowing what that was in Galleons. Jerrick saw their confusion and explained. "Ten thousand dollars is about 625 Galleons at sixteen to one exchange rates."

James and Rose were the targets of multiple stares again. Tiffany just giggled. "Now you know how I feel. These two have no concept of money as we know it."

Rose shrugged. "We've been through this. We have always had a great deal of money, and it's a tool we use, like a wand. It's only money after all."

Hangeld spoke in his rumbling voice. "Do you even know that many families live on less than that?"

James grinned at him. "So I shouldn't tell people Rose and I spent over four hundred Galleons creating the 'Slippery Soles' prank?"

Silence met this comment until Adam, who was more comfortable with pounds, finished converting the fourteen to one ratio. "Bloody hell," he said incredulously, "you spent fifty-six hundred pounds on a prank?"

James shrugged, echoing Rose. "It's only money."

The collective eye rolling that met this statement had Tiffany laughing again. "Give it up, the Mega-Money twins here will never understand."

The group went back to listening to Jerrick. "Anyway, the group you donated to, also funds another group called Nature's Protectors, and they tend to be extreme, spiking trees and ruining machinery, things like that." Jerrick grinned at James and Rose's expressions. "So, according to your files, you two have ties to Eco-Terrorists."

He paused, looking around the table. "Emma here has a couple of minor things, Adam is missing an entire year of school records, and Hangeld's name doesn't match in a couple of files." He took a deep breath. "The point is, everyone's files are like that, except May-ling. Every date, every line, everything in her files is perfect. My father says that is a very good sign that they were all created by one person, at one time so that they could be checked against each other."

Professor Dumbledore nodded, following the logic of the report. "So the very fact that they are perfect is a good indication that something is wrong."

Jerrick nodded. "My father says that it is a good sign of rookie or untrained intelligence people." Professor Dumbledore nodded again, thinking about that. Adrian Clearwater had been Head of Auror Intelligence for nearly twenty years, and if he felt there was something wrong with May-ling's files, Albus had enough respect for him to listen.

His next question was blunt. "What are you planning to do about it, James?" When Tiffany started to speak, he held up one hand. "I asked James." Robert Evans had told Professor Dumbledore that James and Rose would not directly lie. Albus had also noticed that James let other people answer for him, and that some of those answers were a bit strange at times.

James hesitated, and chose his words carefully. "For the moment, nothing. We know there is something strange about her, but not what. We need to know who she's working for, what's she's here to do, and how she reports before we can neutralize her."

"And if she's an agent of the Patient Child?" the headmaster asked quietly. "What will you do then?"

James's smirk was decidedly evil. "Nothing. As long as we know who the Patient Child's spy is, we can make sure the spy only learns what we want the enemy to know."

"And if she's a plant from somebody else?" inquired the Headmaster.

James's eyes were bland, showing nothing, but professor Dumbledore caught the worried look Tiffany sent her Soulbonded. "I will do whatever it takes to protect Manticore and my people."

Hogwarts' Headmaster matched both the steel in James's voice, and the blandness of his eyes. "Just remember, if you would, that while she is here, May-ling is one of my people, as you put it." James and the Professor matched stares for a minute, and it was James that looked away.

"I understand your point, Sir. He said, and looked at the professor again. "I hope you understand mine." This time, his eyes didn't leave the professor's eyes. James wasn't challenging the Headmaster, merely making sure he knew that James felt as responsible for the Manticores as Dumbledore did for the denizens of Hogwarts.

Professor Dumbledore nodded slowly. "Keep me informed about the situation." It was not a request.

"Jerrick, make sure the Headmaster gets a copy of your weekly report, would you?" said James. Jerrick sighed, but agreed.

Professor Dumbledore opened his last topic for the day. "I have been thinking, and I am concerned about the Lab. While I agree that the things in there should be restricted, the idea of a room in Hogwarts that I can't find, but others can get into, is disturbing."

Tiffany's thoughts touched on the last such room, and the trouble caused by the Chamber of Secrets. James thought about it, and sighed. "The only way to fix that, Sir, would be for you to join Manticore, and donate a drop of blood to the spell."  He hesitated, looking at Jerrick.

Jerrick grinned thinly at James. "I already know about the Clan binding, so you can speak freely."

James raised an eyebrow. "What gave it away?"

Jerrick flushed. "You have a whole range of magic I don't understand, so I've been looking at the books you brought with you. The Clan binding is in one of them, along with all its affects."

Professor Dumbledore injected a question. "Would you mind telling me what you two are talking about?"

James told the Professor about the Shaman spell, and the Clan binding, with James as Head of the new Clan. "You have the Clan Leader's powers." The comment was not a question.

James shook his head. "Not the powers yet, merely the potential. I'm not ready to assume the full power yet." James was as honest with himself as he was anyone else. "Between my temper, and the stress of running Manticore, I'm not sure I need those abilities right now."

Professor Dumbledore frowned as he thought of what he knew of the Clan Leader powers. No, James didn't need those skills right now. He considered the lab, and what joining the binding would mean. He weighed the choices, and considered the alternatives. "How do I join Manticore?" he asked quietly.

James stared at him for a minute, and when he spoke, his voice was serious, and formal. "Is that your choice, made of your free will?"

Professor Dumbledore said it was, and James spoke quietly. "Then let's figure out what oath you will swear, because the standard Manticore oath might conflict with other oaths you are under." As they turned away to talk, James sent a message through the link. _"Rose, prepare the Hall for ritual, would you?"_

James and the Professor talked, while all the non-Manticore people were gotten out of the Hall, and the doors were shut. The Manticores knew that something was up when the doors were shut, and they waited, watching Tiffany and James.

James finally looked up. "Rose," he called across the hall, "is Manticore Hall secure?"

"The doors are shut, and except for the Headmaster, every person in the hall is a Manticore." replied Rose formally.

When James spoke again, it had the feel of a spell, and professor Dumbledore could feel magic swirling in the Hall, as James invoked whatever they'd done to the Hall. "All witness, All witness. One is here, who would join us in good faith, and who would be an asset to us. His name and character are known to all of us. Is there anyone that would say Nay?" Nobody moved or spoke, although many of them smiled at the Professor.

"Is there anyone that will hold his Honor in their hands?" James asked, and before he could finish, everyone he could see was standing. "Stand forth, and be known." He finished the ritual.

James turned to the professor and pulled a small silver knife from his robes. "May I have your hand, Sir?" Professor Dumbledore held out his hand, and watched as James made small cuts in his hand, and then the headmaster's. They clasped hands, and James chanted something in Lakota while Dumbledore felt the swirling magic grow around them. James let go of his hand, and pointed out the small golden disk that marked the door. He directed the professor to rob some blood on the disk.

He did so; fascinated by the swirling, living magic he could feel, but not touch.  A flickering thought, about looking into Shaman magic, was shunted aside as he watched the disk glow, absorbing his blood. The glow died, and a door appeared in front of him.

"Welcome to Manticore, Professor." James said, loud enough for everyone to hear, and a cheer rose. James spoke quietly, under the cheer. "I don't suppose you have five more candidates, for a link?" he said, smiling impishly.

Professor Dumbledore just looked over his glasses at James. He knew about the links, both the benefits, and the restrictions. James just grinned again. "I didn't think so, and it is only fitting that the Leader of the Order of the Phoenix be in Phoenix."

James looked at the crowd, searching for someone. "Mercy." he called, and waited.

When Mercy joined them, James smiled at her. "Mercy, Professor Dumbledore is a Phoenix, but in a liaison capacity."

Mercy looked confused. "What does that mean?"

"It means whatever you two decide it means, but you and Jerrick will continue to run Phoenix." James said.

Mercy thought about it for a minute, and then glared at James. "What it means, is that you haven't got a clue what to do with someone you can't control, and you're dumping it on me and Jerrick."

James considered that, and smiled brightly. "Exactly," he confessed, "Although, mostly on you, since you've known him longer than the rest of us. I have faith that you'll work something out." He considered the two of them thoughtfully. "For now," he suggested, "you could show him the lab, and teach him the signature spell, and record his signature when he chooses one." He started to turn away, then stopped. "Don't forget to fill him in on the charms as well. I have the feeling that he'll be getting some. Get his measurements and picture at the same time. Also, give him the first year books and study materials." Professor Dumbledore looked over his glasses at James, who merely shrugged. "Sir, do you really want an eleven year old knowing more about what we're doing than you do? It might lead to doubts about your infallibility." James grinned at the headmaster. "Look on the bright side, at least you don't have to worry about pop quizzes or PT."

Mercy groaned. "Professor, if you'll follow me, we'll get started before this Yank nutter gives me a pop quiz."

Mercy led the Professor into the Lab, and James returned to his chair. He was idly wondering if he should extend the Liaison position to the rest of the Hogwarts staff when Tiffany interrupted his thinking. _"Do you really want Professor Snape able to enter the Lab? If he finds out we're better stocked than he is, we'll never get rid of him."_

James smiled at her as she sat down next to him, and his hand was playing with her hair almost instantly. _"You just don't want your parents up here."_ he countered.

She smiled as she rested her head on his shoulder. _"To use one of your Yank phrases, 'like you do?'"_

_"Not really. I have to assume they might be a little uncomfortable with some of our ways." _James relaxed, mellowed by the touch of his Soulbonded in a way nothing, and no one else could do, even Rose. Thinking of her, he looked, and she was in her window. He raised an eyebrow to see Melissa sitting there with her, and the two staring at each other as they sent over a private link.

He sighed, and began thinking about how this would affect the Prophecy, and the Manticores. Because of the "Heart's Mate" line, James had figured that the Eight would make four couples before the end. What he had not figured on was an uneven number of boys and girls. He considered the lines again, seeking a flaw in his logic.

_Travails, Sorrow, and Loss shall be their Fate,_

_Unless within each other they find Heart's Mate._

He sighed again, watching Rose and Melissa laughing at some private joke. He was fairly sure of which people would be couples already, and Rose and Melissa would have consequences he wasn't sure of yet.

_"James quit worrying about it. It's still a couple of years away."_ Tiffany was getting tired of listening to James worry about things that wouldn't happen for years and years yet.

_"I have to worry about it, Greeneyes. First, she's my sister, and the person that hurts her is going to test my self-control more than anything but an attack on you could."_ James was seriously worried about that. Just the thought of somebody hurting Rose or Tiffany was enough to make him angry, and if, no, when it did happen, he wasn't at all sure he'd be able to control his temper. _"Plus, we have to consider how the Manticores will take it, and how it'll affect them."_

James was scanning the Hall as they talked, and he grinned as he saw Jerrick and Sonya in a corner, talking animatedly. Sonya had grown up on the Borders of the Giantlands, and Jerrick wanted to know everything about people. He was interrogating her as intensely as if she was the Patient Child.

Thought of the Patient Child brought him to a private project nobody at Hogwarts knew about, except Tiffany. _"Before you ask, no, there's still nothing."_

James nodded, and moved Tiffany's very willing body around in front of him. She was handing him the brush even as she settled into position, and they sank into the rapport that was a wonderful side effect of the Soulbond.

Emma watched them for a minute, and sighed. _"You realize, this would be the perfect time to pull a prank on them, except for one thing."_

Chimera looked at her, except for Rose, who grinned. _"Sure it would,"_ she sent, _"if you were willing to deal with James when he figured out how you used their rapport."_

They thought about that, and Hangeld put their thinking into words. _"Not even James could calculate the risk on that."_

The rest of them grinned. _"Not to mention, after the loop incident, we've been learning some control."_ Chimera stared at the two, deep in their pleasure. That had been Tiffany's voice in the link.

_"Actually,"_ and this was James, _"We've found a way to use the rapport to combine our thoughts, and it seems to make things clearer, and problems easier to solve."_

Melissa cocked her head, deep in thought as she pulled her notebook out. _"That would explain something that has puzzled researchers for a very long time. About one to two years after the Bonding, both members of the Bond show a marked increase in intelligence. If you can combine your thinking in tandem, rather than parallel..."_ Melissa's mental voice faded away as she began scribbling notes furiously.

Emma regarded her with a grin. _"That's going to keep her busy for the rest of the day."_ She turned to Hangeld. _"Would you like to help me? I found the most interesting potion recipe, but I don't know what it does."_

Hangeld sighed, even as he stood up to join Emma. _"If I'm not back by dinner, somebody come rescue me."_

The two friends went into the Lab, still bickering about which of them had caused the last potion to explode. Lisa watched them, smiling, and sent a thought over the Chimera link. _"Which of them is crazier, Emma for trying to mix any two substances, or Hangeld for helping her?"_

Laughter spread across the link, except for Emma, who sent an image of her sticking her tongue out at Lisa. Chimera turned to other things then, as the new assistant librarian, William Moore came up to consult with Rose about the History he was writing. (He'd been Prefect Moore last year, and most of Chimera was surprised to find he had a first name.)

Arthur Weasley, Emma's oldest brother and the leader of Gryffindor's Griffon team looked at the Finnigan twins. _"Rose is busy, would you like to try out the window seat again?"_ The twins studiously ignored the laughter in the Griffon link. One of them had been caught in the windowsill, and the results had been entertaining for everyone but them.  Since neither of them would admit to being the one that was in the sill, Rose had simply hexed both of them every time she saw them. They had been different sizes, shapes and colors; they had glowed, smelled and sometimes had two or more effects at one time.

Rose never gave them a chance to apologize, and when the rumour started floating around Manticore that Rose was researching a person-to-pillow transfiguration that would be permanent, they had finally gone to James to beg him to get her to quit. Only Chimera knew that Rose had started the rumour, figuring they'd learned their lesson about her seat.

Arthur grinned at the memories, and made a mental note not to get caught in Rose's window. He went back to studying the Muggle book on tactics James had assigned the team leaders. He glanced at James. Arthur admired the younger boy, but wouldn't have traded places with him for anything. The short life of the Soulbonded was common knowledge in Manticore, and despite his money and talent, only Jody Beal wanted to be him. Arthur admitted to himself that the kind of dedication that it must have taken to come to Hogwarts, knowing that you would probably be sentencing yourself to a short life, was beyond him. Even if Manticore won, those two would be gone soon thereafter. And that was without considering that temper. James had torn a strip off of Arthur one time, and that was a memory that still made him shudder.

James would calmly correct a mistake. He got annoyed if you made the same mistake twice, and that day Arthur had being working with a pistol, and had forgotten the safety a third time. James had taken the pistol, calmly loaded one round, and caused an image of Michael, Arthur's teammates and younger brother to appear. He had then shot the image, which had produced a very graphic, and disturbing death scene. James had then taken the Griffon team leader into the Lab, and shown him actual pictures of dead bodies that had been shot with pistols. The entire time, he kept putting images of the Griffon team member's heads on the bodies. During the whole thing James had explained why a safety was there, in the same tone and small words you would use to correct a three year old.

That however, was not the worst. James had given him five of the pictures, each with a Griffon's head still, and taken the pistol. "You will not do any more training," he'd said, "until you bring me a letter, from you, to each of these people's mothers, explaining how sorry you are that you killed their children through stupidity."

It had taken three days to write those letters, and when he brought them to James, James had told him to keep them, and handed him five more letters. These had been James's letters to the mothers, and they had cut Arthur quite as badly as his own had. When he'd finished reading them, James had looked at him, and said his final words on the matter.

"Don't be the one that makes me write one of those letters."

That was, Arthur reflected, one good thing about James. Once he tore the strip off you, it was gone, unless you did it again. Arthur shivered as he remembered the cold voice and cutting contempt James had displayed, as he lectured the Griffon team leader. He looked at his team, and ran a hand under his robes, where he had one of the magical copies of the pistols. He checked the safety again.

Arthur wasn't worried about making James write one of those letters, he never wanted to have to write a letter explaining a child's death to his or her mother again. He went back to his study of tactics, determined that he would not be the one to cause somebody to die.

Michael had seen Arthur reach under his robes, and like all of Griffon, he knew what was there. Unlike the rest of Griffon, Michael had read all ten of the letters. He had come away from that with two thoughts. He never wanted the responsibility of the team leader position, and that Yank was crazy. A good kind of crazy maybe, but crazy.  Anyone who would take responsibility for this many people, knowing some of them would die, was simply barking mad in his opinion. Michael looked at the Griffon team, trying to figure out who would lead if anything happened to Arthur.

Brian Crockford was a nice guy. Brave, true, and a complete pushover in the nice department.  Not a bad friend, but he'd be a terrible leader for this kind of thing. He'd be great leading a charity, but this wasn't exactly a charity now was it?

Harold Bones was not a pushover, but he thought too much. He'd spend so much time getting every detail right, that the war would be over before they did one mission. Given any choices at all, he would thoroughly explore every single option until he was sure he wanted to do one.

Michael shuddered at the thought of one of the Finnigan twins leading. They had the eternal optimism of a pair of six year olds. Everything would be ok, and always would be, as long as they tried, or so they thought.

Michael frowned as he realized that Griffon didn't have a back-up leader in case something happened to Arthur, and he made a mental note to talk to Arthur about it.

The Holidays saw the first year of what would become a Manticore tradition. Last year, the boys of Chimera had pelted the girls, and started a snowball fight that had lasted until dinner. This year, the girls repaid the favor, getting Ron Stone and Richard March of Sphinx as well. The only Chimeras not involved were James and Tiffany. Since they couldn't hide plots from each other, they tended to stay out of the male vs. female games.

Within the hour, Manticore was embroiled in a snowball war that pitted Chimera, Sphinx and Phoenix against the rest. Mercy and Phoenix had created a snowfort, and were protected from the worst. With Adam leading the mobile attacking force, the two sides were closely matched until Debra Valentine of the Dragon team took control of all the teams.

The combined strikes of five teams, working together from a single point of control would have quickly overrun the fort if not for the team of Mercy and Jerrick. With Mercy leading the defense, and stockpiling snowballs for the attackers, led by Jerrick, the fort was holding on. Adam still had Chimera and Sphinx, but superior numbers were pushing them back to the fort as well.

All the defenders were in the fort, and three teams were making runs at the fort from three different directions when Griffon and Unicorn disappeared under snow. Everyone came to a stop, looking for the source of the attack. James and Tiffany were sitting on their Broomsticks, surveying the group below.

As the two teams began popping up from the roof loads of snow James and Tiffany had dumped on them, the pair hovered just over their heads. "Tiffany, Darling," James said in a snobbish sounding voice, "There are snow people living over here."

"What is the neighborhood coming to?" was her equally snobbish reply.

The addition of a mobile air wing changed the odds in the defenders favor, until more broomsticks began arriving. Within the hour, almost everyone was mounted, and the battle was rejoined. Mercy led the defense on the ground, with Jerrick repelling the land attacks. Adam used the two mobile teams in relays, using one close to the fort to repel air raids on it, while the other team made feints and attacks on the enemy.

The battle continued raging until Professor Dumbledore catch James's attention. James flew to him, and the headmaster spoke to him. "Lunch is in a bit, and Mr. Finch has informed me that dry, snow-free clothing is the preferred uniform in the dining hall."

James grinned, still flush with the adrenalins of battle. "Yes, Sir." He pulled his wand, and send blue sparks drifting over the battlefield. Manticore reacted to the recall sign as well as James could have hoped for. Within three minutes, all the teams were lined up in front of James. "People, good work. Now, Lunch is in thirty minutes, and I have been informed that dry, snow-free clothing is the uniform of the day." James looked around, and smirked. "Lucy, Zach, that does not mean birthday suits." The couple blushed as laughter rolled through the crowd. "Dismissed." Except for Chimera, waiting on James, Manticore headed for their rooms to change.

Professor Dumbledore looked at James. "Well impressive, Mr. Evans. Your training is paying off."

James bowed to the Headmaster. "I will pass your words along, Professor. Thank you."

James turned his head, regarding Chimera. "Last one upstairs has to help Emma with her experiments for a week."

Eight broomsticks headed for the main doors and disappeared inside. Professor Dumbledore turned to Professor McGonagall standing nearby. "Would you remind them that flying indoors is forbidden?"

Professor McGonagall was looking after Manticore with a somber expression. "Are we doing the right thing here, Albus?" she asked in a quiet voice. "I was watching them today, and they remind me of a pack of wolves. Fierce, loyal and very dangerous." She turned to look at him. "Tell me something, if they became dark wizards, could they be stopped?"

Professor Dumbledore considered the question gravely. "If that happened, it would take a great effort to stop them. What worries me however, is not them going evil, but how far they will go to win." He moved closer to the Transfiguration professor. "James and Tiffany have gotten a source from Jerrick's father, and they're hunting the Patient Child. James is planning on just shooting him when they find him, even if he hasn't done anything yet."

Professor McGonagall flinched. "That's murder."

"Yes, it is."

A/N: Shouts out to all like totally four of you that reviewed.  Holly, thanks for your review, it reminded me I hadn't posted 2-3 yet or 2-4.


	16. 2nd Year, chapter 4

**_Prophecy, 2nd year_**

**_Chapter 4_**

Christmas morning, Emma woke Rose, Melissa and Tiffany up caroling, and their laughter woke Lisa.  A few minutes later, James flew in the window and took pictures of four beautifully decorated trees, before releasing the girls from Lisa's hex.

Lisa sat on her bed, with her wand in one hand, and her coffee cup in the other.  James was very polite.  "When you're ready, Manticore is gathering in the Hall.  There are a couple of things I need to give everyone."

Lisa stared blearily at James, and then looked in her coffee cup.  "Fifteen minutes Yank, if you get out of my room so I can bloody well get dressed."  James carefully hid his smile until he was out the window.

Thirty minutes later, the last Manticore straggled into the Hall, and the doors were shut for only the second time this year.  All of them, even the ones that had left school the preceding year were here, along with Albus Dumbledore and Alexander Evans.

"I know most of you have families waiting on you in Hogsmeade, so I'll keep this short.  I am about to give each of you a gift.  A gift, and a ring.  Don't lose the ring, as you're paying for its replacement, and the Manticore signet rings are eight hundred and fifty galleons each."

An instant of frozen silence exploded into talk and shouted questions.  James held up a hand, and waited for silence.  "Each ring has a small Magicrystal in them, all cut from one stone.  The scrolls you will get with them explain how to use them.  You can talk to any one Manticore, your whole team, or everyone at once.  Friends, they are equipment, don't play with them too much."

James called each Manticore forward to receive their rings.  The rings were simple yet elegant in design, with the Manticore symbol on the face, surrounding the Magicrystal.  On the left side of the ring was the team symbol and the individual signature was on the right.  Each Manticore also got a Muggle made Swiss army knife with a couple of wizarding functions added to it.  Each knife was engraved with the signature of the recipient.

When James was done, Sonya stood up.  "Excuse me, but Manticore has some things for Chimera as well."  She pulled a scroll from a bag, and began reading it.  "For Lisa, in recognition of your extreme talent."  Lisa's gift was a book of brainteasers.  The wizarding book could be written in, and when you thought you had an answer, you wrote it in the book.  If you were right, the book turned blue.  If you were wrong, it turned red.

"For Hangeld, in light of his accepted Hazardous duty."  Hangeld got a potion proof poncho, which might save him from Emma's experiments

"For Emma, in hopes she doesn't turn us all into frogs, or something."  Emma's gift was a small red leather case, which held a traveling potions kit.  It also traveled well, because every time you tried to open it, it grew legs and ran away.

"For Adam, in hopes that somebody can finally win something against him."  This was another book, full of the worst strategies of the last three hundred years.

"For Melissa, simply because nothing else fit."  Melissa opened her gift, to find a quill.  She stared at it, and then at Sonya.  She tried it in her notebook, and looked at what she'd written.  Sonya grinned at the expression on her face.  "I might have forgotten to mention, it only writes in Sanskrit."  The laughter in the hall was general by now.

"For Rose, in recognition of her attempts to maintain something resembling normalcy in Chimera."  Rose tore the wrapping off her gift, to find a short club, engraved with every one of the Manticore's symbols, and the words 'Very Big Stick' written on it.  Remembering all the times Rose had claimed only a very big stick could influence James, the Hall broke out in laughter again.

When the laughter quieted, Sonya turned to James and Tiffany.  "Finding a gift for the Crazy Yank, and the Brit Nutter was hard.  After all, they already have a brush and a hammock."  She paused for the chuckles to stop.  "Finally, after much debate and long thought, we decided on this."  James and Tiffany opened the thick package to find a photo album, with the first two pages empty, and then one page of pictures for each Manticore.  The Manticores were listed in order, and followed by the Wolfpack Trainers and Professor Dumbledore.  "We assumed that you could figure out who the first two pages are for."

James looked at Tiffany, listening to something she said, and then grinned at the Manticores as he dismissed them to their families.  "Thank you all, but you're still paying for the rings if you lose one."

Dinner in Hogwarts that night was a small affair, as most of the Manticores were staying the night in Hogsmeade with their families.  James and Rose were sitting with Emily Kitchen and Jaime Clinton of Phoenix.  The rest of Chimera was scattered, with Emma, Hangeld, Tiffany and Melissa joining their families.  James blinked, and looked around the dining hall.  _"Sister mine, where are Adam and Lisa?  Their families didn't come, but they're not here either."_

Rose glanced around the hall, and then tried to touch Lisa and Adam with the Chimera link.  The two of them were shielding tightly, and she couldn't figure out what they were doing, until the feel of them alerted her. _ "James, touch them with the link, and tell me what you think."_

James reached down the link, and studied the pair for a minute.  He smiled suddenly, and relaxed_.  "It took a minute to figure it out,"_ he confessed to Rose, _"If I didn't have Tiffany's memories of us, and the way we feel, I wouldn't have.  How did you do it?"_

_"Far be it for me to suggest you're not quite bright Brother dear..."_

_"Keep it up flower child, I want to test the 'forty feathers' prank anyway."_

_"Is it finished?  What do you think?"_

From there, the conversation between the twins became a discussion of pranks and ideas for pranks that would market well.  The two of them were so engrossed in the topic that they forgot about Lisa and Adam, and the feel to their shields that said they were Up To Something.

One of the students in the dining hall was May-ling, and after dinner was over, James took advantage of that to invite her, and the three or four other students up to Manticore Hall.

May-ling was a short Chinese girl with shoulder length hair and strange eyes.  James and Rose ended up talking to her for a couple of hours after the others had gone to bed.  They found her to be very perceptive, with an oddly adult sense of humour and a large store of historical knowledge and trivia.

Around 2300, they were the last three in Manticore Hall, and they were sitting around the fireplace, in a relaxed silence.  May-ling looked up at James from the flames she'd been staring at.  "I think," she said quietly, "that we should talk.  I think you have as many questions for me, as I have of you."  She smiled slightly.  "Shall we trade information?  I'll explain why magic doesn't affect me, and you can tell me why you're building a private army using military skills."

James watched the fire, and thought quickly.  He liked the girl, but without Rose and Melissa's ability to tell him if he could trust her, he wasn't sure if he wanted to tell her about Manticore yet.

May-ling seemed to know what he was thinking.  "You don't have a lot to tell me you know.  The Fraternal Order of Manticore is a cover for an army.  You have six, possibly seven combat teams, with support elements, including the staff of Hogwarts.  However, you do not have the support of the Ministry of Magic."

James sighed.  "Would you mind telling me what gave us away?  Maybe I need to rethink the openness of our training."

May-ling smiled, and began ticking off points on her fingers.  "PT in the morning, classic habit of the military for centuries.  Groups of people, walking in step, and keeping the same measured stride.  Groups that watch everything around them, and sit or stand in positions that allow them to cover each other.  Most important, I watched the snowball fight, and the use of military terms and tactics was quite apparent to anybody watching you."

James raised an eyebrow as he thought about what she'd said.  "Tell me how an eleven year old from London's south side knows military terms and tactics first."

It was May-ling's turn to stare at the fire.  She began to speak softly, and she talked for more than two hours.

"May-ling Sun Tzu is my name, but I am neither eleven, nor from London.  I am the granddaughter of Sun Tzu, who wrote 'The Art of War'."

James stared at her, wondering if she was crazy.  Sun Tzu had lived more than two thousand years ago, which would make May-ling at least that old.  Rose was watching her carefully, trying to evaluate her on her tone and body language.

"Yes, I am a bit older than I look, and that is my mother's fault, and my curse."

"My father did not have the prestige of my revered grandfather, nor did he have the intelligence that allowed grandfather to navigate the murky waters that were politics then.  In my tenth year, he was executed falsely, as part of a convoluted plot."

May-ling looked into the fire for the longest time, remembering the events of her youth.  "My mother was never that stable, but she loved my father dearly.  He was the center of her world, and to have him beheaded for a crime everyone knew he didn't do drove her to madness.  She found a Dark Wizard, and the two of them created an evil spell, tied to family bloodlines."

James looked up intently.  "A Wizard, May-ling, or some sort of Shaman?  Bloodline spells are easy to do in Clan relationships."

May-ling shrugged.  "We didn't make a distinction between them in those days.  If you could do magic you were a Wizard."

May-ling continued her story.  "The two of them sacrificed my brothers, and used the end of Sun Tzu's line to kill the Magistrate, all the men who lied about father, and the executioner.  Along the way, they also destroyed their families, killing everyone with any of their blood.  Aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins, parents, children, they all died in a single night."

James and Rose looked at each other with the hair rising on the back of their neck.  That was truly an evil spell.  Their attention was brought back to May-ling as she spoke again.

"The Emperor sent a troop, and his personal Wizard to restore order.  They caught mother and the Dark Wizard quickly, and in the interests of equal justice, every member of their families was sentenced to die.  One of the village Elders said that doing so would not be justice, as mother had caused the death of six hundred and fifty-three people, and the Dark Wizard and mother's families only totaled one hundred and nineteen."

May-ling looked at twins, and smiled wryly.  "I understand his point, that the deaths did not add up, or constitute 'equal justice', but I have long wished he'd kept his mouth shut.  The Emperor's Wizard agreed with him, and chose me to serve justice.  He cast a spell, granting me immortality, so long as my work is not done.  I will remain as you see me, until I have done good to equal the evil they did.  They killed six hundred and fifty-three, I have to save that many before the curse is broken, and I can age and die normally."

May-ling stretched, and reached for her chocolate, long since grown cold.  Taken a sip, she moistened a dry throat and finished her tale.  "So far, in all this time, I have saved but thirty-one lives."  She looked at the twins.  "Most people do not listen to children, nor allow them to risk their lives.  In the place I come from, it was even worse, and three times as bad since I am a girl."

Rose choked.  "Great.  Somebody who wants rescue things as bad as you do, James, and with even less reason to be afraid.  I'm going to have gray hair before I'm twenty-five."

James was thinking about the story.  "That does not explain why magic doesn't effect you."

"It will, but it takes a great deal of power to push a harmless spell through the curse.  Anything that would hurt me can't be pushed through the curse at all."

James blinked, and then looked at May-ling with a new light in his eyes.  "Does that include the Unforgivable Curses?"

May-ling stared at him.  "I don't know, nobody ever tried to use one of them on me, that I know of."  She looked at Rose, who was staring at James, and then directed her attention to James, who was lost in thought.  "What is he thinking of?" she asked Rose.

"Trust me, you don't want to know."

May-ling blinked at them both.  "Right then.  I'll just be running along now."

James looked at her.  "Don't you want to hear about the Para-military army I have?"

May-ling shook her head.  "Not if waiting to hear the tale means you're going to be casting curses on me.  I've been cursed once, and that was enough for me."

James shook his head now.  "No curses, I promise you.  At least, not yet.  I have some friends that would just love to study your curse, and see if they could break it though."

May-ling stared at him, a tiny light of hope shining in her eyes.  "Can they do it?  I would be most grateful."

James shrugged.  "As to their ability to break it, I don't know.  However, even if they can't, there are other options, and I have the time and the money to try most of them. Do you want me to start?"  James stared at the girl intently.

May-ling was not a fool.  "What am I committing to here?"

James and Rose took turns filling May-ling in on Manticore, and the Prophecy.

"So you want me to help you, and in return you will try and help me break this curse, so I can age normally or at least die?"

James looked startled.  "Why would you want to die?  There is a lot of living that you could do, if you could age normally."

May-ling sighed, and for a minute, her eyes were old, and infinitely weary.  "I have seen, and experienced things I would forget.  Life is not always a blessing."

James thought about all the things that could happen to a person over two thousand years, but shook his head.  "I will not help you die.  Live, yes.  Age, yes, but not to die."

May-ling looked at him.  "You offer more hope than I have had in three hundred years.  Maybe you can show me joy in life again."

Rose spoke for the first time in a while.  "What are you doing in school anyway?  I would think that you knew most of this stuff already."

May-ling shrugged.  "I go back to one school or another every hundred years or so, hoping that something new will allow me to break the curse."

James was planning.  "Tomorrow, we set Melissa, April and Emily on this, as a priority."  He grinned, and added, "I think we'll tell Prefect Moore about you, and tell Jerrick he and his father were right about you."

May-ling looked puzzled.  "Prefect who?"

James looked abashed.  "Sorry, last year he was Prefect Moore.  The assistant Librarian is one of us, and a historian.  I would be the cursed one if I failed to introduce him to someone who has witnessed two thousand years of history."

The three talked about things awhile longer, and went to bed.

The next morning found May-ling in the hall telling her story to an avid group of Manticores.  Moore had nearly had a heart attack when he found out her age, and was busily trying to decide whether to write her history, or question her about the things she seen and lived through first.

The three researchers James had assigned to her curse had consulted for a couple of hours, and then dragged May-ling off to the lab for tests.  Since they needed a lot of power to push spells through the curse, they recruited Adam to cast for them.  While they were poking and prodding, Moore was asking her questions about where and when she been over the years, so he could outline and research what was happening in that time and place.

Jerrick was smugly happy to find his father had been correct; May-ling had created all the records at once, before using magic to put them in place.

Professor Dumbledore had listened to her story gravely, and promised his help as well.  He had left Manticore Hall and returned a short time later, and was watching the three researchers test the limits of the curse.

When May-ling had come in this morning, she had handed James a load of scrolls, and wished him luck with them.  When he asked what they were, she had grinned.  "Nothing much.  Only my grandfather's notes on strategy from his entire life."

James was now sitting at Chimera's table, reading and making notes on the scrolls.  Tiffany had tried to distract him a couple of times, but he was "generally acting like Emily", and even that sally didn't get a response out of him.

Tiffany sighed as she looked at her obsessed Soulbonded.  The day she'd arrived at Hogwarts for the Sorting Ceremony, she'd known about the Prophecy, but she's been more concerned with the state of her robes than the state of the world.  Bonding with James had been a serious shock, and she'd nearly gone completely mad.  Tiffany's easygoing, friendly nature had met James's obsessive paranoid nature and clashed.  Badly.

It was only the hidden side of James's personality that had saved them both.  Under the Pendragon temper and obsession lay a compassionate boy who had spent his childhood rescuing anything that needed help, from wounded wolverines to eagle chicks, and everything in between.

Every time Tiffany thought of that side of James, she had to smile, and look at the Unicorn incident again.

_"Do you mind?"_ came an exasperated thought from James.

_"Not at all,"_ Tiffany said brightly, _"That has got to be the funniest thing I ever saw."_

James flared up in embarrassment again.  _"I swear, if you ever tell anyone about that, I'll tell everyone about your crush on."_

Tiffany interrupted him hastily, even as she colored in turn.  _"Never mind.  I already said I wouldn't."_

At dinner that night, May-ling stopped by the Gryffindor table on her way to the Ravenclaw table.  "Your researchers are very intense." was all she said before continuing.

Melissa and Emily were still making notes at the table, and April hadn't even come to dinner.  Adam looked worn out from casting spells through May-ling's curse and Moore wasn't at dinner either.

Hangeld, who' been with his father most of the day, looked at James.  _"What did you do to May-ling?"_

_"I set Melissa, April and Emily to investigating her curse, and told Moore about her age."_

Emma looked after May-ling. _"She's going to kill you, you know.  She'll be hunting you in two days."_

James grinned.  _"I'm not too worried.  It's going to take at least a month before she can get away from those four long enough to take a bath."  _Laughter ran through the Chimera link.

With James poring over the notes, the three working on May-ling, and Moore doing his own thing, Manticore and Chimera passed the rest of the holidays quietly.

Three weeks after the holidays, Slytherin met Hufflepuff in one of the shortest games ever played at Hogwarts.  The Hydra link had all three Chaser slots, and the Keeper as well.  With those advantages, Slytherin dominated the match from the start, scoring four times in six minutes, then the snitch practically flew into the Seeker's hand, and the match was over.  It had lasted less than nine minutes total.

Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff would meet in March for third place in the Quidditch standings, and Gryffindor would meet Slytherin for the Cup in April.  The loser of that match would play the winner of April's match for second place in the standings.

Just before Valentine's Day, the researchers brought their findings to James.  Nothing they could do would break May-ling's curse.  They had some people to owl, but nothing could be done at Hogwarts.

The problem lay in the curse.  The Wizard that had cast it had tied the curse to May-ling's soul, and trying to alter or remove it caused her so much pain that they had to stop.

May-ling received the news philosophically.  "I have been trying to break this curse for a thousand years, another few years won't matter that much, and at least Manticore gives me the respect I earn."

With Chimera and the leaders of Manticore being among the youngest of the Manticores, respect was given to you based on your actions, not your age.  In that environment, May-ling's age, wisdom and experience counted for far more than her apparent years.

On March first, Chimera sat down with the team leaders and evaluated the first year students.  They were looking for replacements, and extra troops in case the Patient Child had a larger army than the seven teams could handle.

The Manticores in each house had been evaluating the new students all year, and now they were ready to offer up any names that might be good for Manticore.  May-ling was automatic, and Ravenclaw had one more candidate, a half Veela girl named Levina Edwards.  Gryffindor wanted Jerry Rabin and Andrew Sandusky.

Sonya had just one candidate from Slytherin, a cousin of hers from the borders, named Mary Gebbs.  Hufflepuff had the strangest nomination.  They wanted to recruit Drake Rohan.

"Why Drake?" asked James mildly.

The Unicorn team leader, Zachary Moore explained.  "Drake's a good kid, and smarter than we thought.  He's already figured out most of what we're doing, and he approached us.  He wants to do things, not write about them like his father."

James considered it briefly, and then looked at Rose.  "What do you think?"

Rose found Drake's path of now, and followed it forward as far as she could.  "He'll be good for us, but not in a link.  He'll be a Phoenix, in research, or as an auxiliary."

James looked at his notes.  "Is that it then?"  He asked frowning at his notes.  "Six First Years?"

Debra Valentine, the Dragon team leader spoke up.  "I have one more, but he's not a first year."

James looked up, catching the strange note in her voice.  "Well, who is it?"

"Dirk Clave."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the Team leaders as Chimera drew a blank on the name.  James looked around at the Team leaders that wouldn't meet his eye.  "OK," he said, "Somebody tell me why Mr. Clave is so bad."

Debra jumped to his defense.  "He's not bad, just a little different."

James looked at the others, who were still avoiding his eyes.  "Different how?"

"He sometimes talks to people that other people can't see or hear."  Debra admitted.

James blinked, and then raised an eyebrow at Debra.  "I may be mistaken, but in America, talking to people that aren't there is not a good thing, in either the Muggle or Wizard world."  He paused and then asked, "Why would he be good for us?"

Debra looked around, and then sighed when the other team leaders just waited.  "He may talk to people who we can't see, but somehow he knows things as they happen.  When the Quidditch finals were in Bulgaria two years ago, he knew the final score and which team won in less than five minutes, long before anyone else in the school."

James looked at Rose and Melissa.  They talked over the link for a few seconds, and then James shrugged.  "Send him up, and let Rose and Melissa talk to him."

Zachary was biting his lip.  He started to say something, and then stopped.  Rose was watching him.  "Spit it out Zach.  We won't shoot you for asking."

He bit his lip again, and then started talking.  "I have someone I want to nominate, but I can't justify it."  Everyone was watching him now.  "He's not a link troop, and he's not anything really.  He's shy, nervous and completely lacking in self-confidence."  Zachary looked around at the faces and shrugged.  "The kid's not real bright, and he needs help, but I can't do anything for him, and I can't find any reason to recommend him."

James raised an eyebrow.  "He can't be that bad, even Carey Fudge isn't that bad."

Zachary blinked at James.  "Carey Fudge is who I'm talking about."

Melissa frowned, remembering the classes the second year Gryffindors had with Carey.  "He's not very stable.  Emotionally, he's a mess."

Rose was looking down the paths, and frowning.  She already knew that Carey would be invited to join.  James had been feeling sorry for Carey for a long time now.  Gryffindor had had a couple of classes with Hufflepuff the first year, and had Care of Magical Animals with them this year.  The slightly clumsy and shy boy had roused James's pity to the point that he's taken to collaborating him during the occasionally dangerous class.

James ended the silence.  "Bring him up here.  Let the three of us talk to him."

_"James, he's not important to the Prophecy."_  She sent.  _"In fact, he's not important in any path I can find, and if he joins us, some of his paths end during First Strike time."_

James considered that, and gave Rose a mental shrug.  _"Calculated Risk, Sister mine.  He needs help."_

Rose smiled inwardly.  _"Another rescue Brother mine?"_ she asked.  _"Do you know what would happen to your reputation if people ever found out you rescue strays?"_

James grinned at Rose openly, and his next sending was to all of Chimera.  _"Speaking of rescues, anyone up for a little adventure in the Forbidden Forest tonight?"_

Six voices tried to talk down the link all at once.  The gist of the sendings was that James was nuts, the forest was off-limits, and what was the mission?

_"I was practicing Totem magic with Nightrunner early this morning, and we found an injured unicorn in the forest."_  Nightrunner was the name of the wolf James had gotten from Alexander and Martin_.  "Nightrunner has been keeping an ear out all day, and I thought we would go and take the unicorn to Hagrid tonight.  It'll be fun."_

Lisa's voice sounded loud in the skeptical silence that comment brought.  _"What if we get caught?"_

James's amusement warned them all, and eight voices spoke as one.  _"Calculated Risk."_


	17. 2nd Year, Chapter 5

Prophecy, 2nd year

Meetings and agreements.

Late that night, two windows opened in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and eight shadows flew out of them.  They weren't really shadows of course, but since they were dressed in the dull black Manticore uniform, that is all anyone would have seen.

They landed just shy of the forest.  "I have something for all of you, and don't let anyone know you have them."  sent James.  He opened a sack he'd been carrying, and passed each Chimera their pistol.

"What are you doing with these?" asked Adam, as he took his and checked the safety.  "I thought we had to leave all the Muggle things behind."

The eight were checking the weapons and loading them as they listened to James.  "Think about it.  Alexander taught me paranoia, did you really think he's leave us completely unarmed, in case of an emergency?"

They had to concede that point.  "I've got point, Tiffany will be the tail guard, and I want Adam and Hangeld flanking us.  Remember, the pistols may not work here, so you four in the middle, I want your wands out.  Rose, you know what you need to do, and Melissa, I want to know if anything hostile approaches.  Any questions?"

Nobody had any questions, and they lifted off, staying about ten feet off the ground.  James reached for Nightrunner, and linked with the wolf long enough to make sure the unicorn hadn't moved during the day, and then released him to go hunt for his dinner.  He found Tammarrion and called her to him.  She settled just over his head, and he used her night vision to watch the forest ahead.  It was a little disturbing at first, seeing the world in shades of black and white, but he was used to it by now, and they went on.  Tiffany was doing the same thing, but watching the back trail, so that nothing could follow them.  Her owl was a local forest owl, that she had started practicing with, after she figured out how to do it from James's mind.

Most of the group was limited to the reports from James and Tiffany, and the various sounds and lack of sight had them jumpy.  After all, this forest was forbidden because it was dangerous, not because it was dark.  Rose was looking down the Paths of now, just a few seconds ahead of when they actually were, so she could give warning of anything that might happen.

Rose was the first to see the clearing, and what waited there.  "James, there are Centaurs in the clearing ahead."

James sent Tammarrion ahead, and then around the clearing to see if they could get around without intruding on whatever the Centaurs were doing.

"You can come out, Humans, we know you're there, and we want to talk to you."  James wasn't sure which Centaur spoke, but he was certain that Chimera was the only group of humans in the Forest tonight.  Giving an order down the link, he moved forward, leaving Chimera behind.

James came to a stop about ten feet in front of the Centaurs, and at a level that put everyone's head even.  He studied the Centaurs, as they looked at, and past him.

"Good evening," he said, "How can we help you?"

One of the Centaurs, a grizzled older male, moved to the front of the group.  "We knows what comes, and for once it affects us all, not just the humans.  Writ large in the night sky are the names of the Eight Who Are One, and we would meet the Children of Prophecy."

James nodded, and had the rest of Chimera move up on line with him.  As they settled into their line, the spokes-centaur asked, "Which of you is the seer?"

Rose answered him.  "I have that duty, and honor."  The Centaur moved forward and faced her.  "You see the future clearly then?"

"Sight is not the stars, nor do I have the experience or training of you who watch the stars.  I see possibilities of what can be, and we try to guide the Path into the possibilities that we want it to be in."  Rose said, watching the Centaur closely.

The Centaur nodded gravely.  "In guiding these Paths and possibilities, do you consider how it will effect the non-humans?"

"I cannot.  Unless I meet a being, or their path crosses a path I can see, I cannot see a single path among all the paths of what could be."

Again, the Centaur nodded as he considered her words.  "So you have no idea how this event will effect the non-humans."

"I've never met one of the non-human races, except the House-elves, and they are tied too closely to humans.  Would you like to me to look forward for you now?"

"If you would, Seer."

Rose looked inside, finding her Path of now, and found the Paths of the Centaurs that were here.  She followed the Paths as far as she could.  One by one, she followed the four Centaurs Paths.

"For sometime to come, your Paths do not vary.  In two and a half, three years, your Paths converge with a great many others.  That convergence is a Pivot point, and I cannot see what happens at or past that point.  Almost all the paths break into two main groups however.  In the first, they break apart, and return to what they are now."  Rose looked at the Centaur solemnly.  "The other group of paths fades away into darkness after awhile."

The four Centaurs discussed what Rose had told them in their own tongue for several minutes.  "You cannot tell then, what causes the division between Light and Shadow?"

Rose looked again, trying to pierce the multitude of paths.  She had once described following a single path into a pivot point "like following one strand of spaghetti in a whole boiling pot of it."  She looked back at them.  "I'm sorry, but there are simply too many of them right now.  Maybe in a year or so I will be able to see more."

The Centaurs spoke amongst themselves a few more minutes and the spokes being turned back to Rose.  During the next winter season, on the day you call Winter Solstice, will you come to us and try again, Seer?"

Rose and James conferred quickly, and Rose agreed to return on December twenty-first to try to see again.

While they talked to the Centaur spokes being, another of the Centaurs moved up and spoke to Melissa.  "Your power shall emerge soon Healer.  When it does, if you would learn to heal the non-humans, come to the edge of the Forest, and one of us will meet you."

Melissa nodded.  "I will, if I may teach those skills to others of my Clan."

The Centaur looked at Melissa gravely.  "You know that one that can Heal can also hurt."

Melissa raised her head, a flash of anger quickly swallowed by pride.  "In all my Clan's history, only two of us have so abused their power, and we dealt with them."

The Centaur cocked his head sideways, in a move that reminded them all of Emily.  "I do not believe your Clan kills, Healer.  How then, were you able to deal with them?"

Melissa looked at Chimera, and sighed.  She turned back to the Centaur.  "You know," she said somberly, "that some humans have burned themselves out, and become unable to do magic at all."  The Centaur agreed that such things had happened.

"What they do by accident, we can do deliberately."

Chimera froze, staring at Melissa as the Centaur moved back to his group.  "Are you serious?" asked Adam nervously.  "Can you really destroy whatever makes us wizards?"

Melissa sent, "Yes, any Healer can do it, but we've only done it twice and both times it was a Clan thing, so I would really appreciate it if we kept this secret."

Hangeld shivered at the thought of losing all his magic.  "I don't even want to think about it."

The four Centaurs said their good byes and moved off into the forest.  Chimera moved across the clearing to the injured Unicorn.  James, Rose, Adam and Lisa set up an overwatch while Emma and Tiffany helped Melissa bandage the Unicorn's injury and Hangeld rigged a large litter to carry the Unicorn in.

Moving the Unicorn to Hagrid's hut took very little time, and Hagrid was soon treating the animal.  He looked at Chimera.  "I will nae ask where or how you found the wee beastie, but in an hour, I'll be walking the grounds, and I would hate to have ta report anyone I find out of their Houses."

Chimera took the hint, and headed off to bed.

On March fifteenth, Ravenclaw easily defeated Hufflepuff in Quidditch and the House cup was down to the Gryffindor/Slytherin game.  If Gryffindor defeated Slytherin, they would take the House Cup.  If Slytherin won, the Cup would go to the House with the most points, and currently, Ravenclaw was leading by fifty-seven points.  After that, Ravenclaw would play Slytherin (If they lost) for second and third place in the Cup standings.

James and Rose were avidly waiting the match.  For the first time, they would face off against another set of twins as Beaters.  Marlin and Larry Jerrands were seventh year students, and had been the Slytherin Beaters since their second year.  They were widely acknowledged as the best Beaters in Hogwarts, even with a reputation for occasional brutal double-teaming.

Adam was always scribbling on scraps of paper, notebooks, and anything else that came to hand, as he tried to create new plays that used the link to its best effect.

Rose and Melissa spent several hours with the eight candidates for Manticore, and passed the six first years quickly.  Carey Fudge, grandson of Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge was a different matter.  Rose reported to James that he was a null, not affecting any path she could find.  Whether he joined Manticore or not, he simply never made any difference in any future path.

James asked what was wrong with him in Melissa's hearing, and she scolded him for nearly an hour.  Aside from the invective, discussion of James's arrogance, and arm waving, the actual message was short.  Most people led ordinary lives, never affecting the world in any measurable way, but that didn't mean there was anything wrong with them.  They were just ordinary people.  James apologized to Melissa for his phrasing.

Carey might not mean anything to the world in general, but James was determined to give him some self-confidence, and included him in the group that would be told about Manticore.

 Dirk Clave was another story.  Rose and Melissa came away from their interviews with him conflicted.  He would make an acceptable Linked team member, or a better Phoenix troop; except for one thing.  He did indeed talk to people that were not there, or that Rose and Melissa couldn't see or hear.  Neither of their gifts found anyone there either.

On the other hand, his sponsor was correct.  However he did it, when he was talking to the invisible people, he could find out what was going on anywhere in the world right then.  James smiled at that, and set Emily to trying to figure out how he did it.

Rather, he tried anyway.  For the second time in two days, another Manticore blew up at James.  "I realize, you bloody git," she said, in a tone that made James feel about three centimeters high, "that since you don't sleep, barely eat and have a dual brain, you can work twenty four hours an day, seven days a week.  Some of us however, are merely human."  She then laid out all the things she was already doing, the time she needed to study the class work and asked James where he expected her to add this project.

James looked at her schedule, and called Mercy over.  They set the Phoenixes that weren't doing anything to helping Emily.  While they didn't have her flair for research, or the analytical mind that could make sense of all of the data, they could do the footwork and find the books and scrolls she needed, as well as eliminating any obvious wrong choices.

A couple of days after Melissa lectured James, Rose took Melissa aside and explained something to her.  Robert Evans had known that even if the Prophecy didn't happen in their lifetime, James would still be the one to run Cumulus.  He had drilled James with a heavy sense of responsibility.  When you ran a large multi-national company, especially one that ran in both worlds, every decision you made could have serious consequences for dozens of people.

Cumulus had nearly a quarter million employees, contractors and affiliates in both worlds, and therefore, every decision had far reaching consequences.  There was also the Guardianship of the Dragonian Codex, but Rose couldn't tell Melissa about that.  To put it very simply, James had been raised to consider everything as a major decision.  He simply didn't understand that most people would never make decisions like that anymore than he understood the way ordinary people thought about money.

To James and Rose, spending fifty-one thousand Galleons (60 rings x 850 Galleons each= 51,000) on the Manticore rings was simply a wise investment.  To the average Manticore, that was roughly three year's pay at a good job, making the signet ring the most expensive piece of jewelry they would ever wear.

Melissa came away from their talk sobered.  She had a long talk with April Erskine and was very quiet for the rest of the week.  She knew about important decisions of course, every Healer did.  When to let somebody go, Heal this one or that one, let this person die with dignity and a dozens more.  Those decisions, however, were the exception, not the rule, and the idea of considering everything with that gravity sobered her.  Melissa had often wondered why James and Rose seemed so mature for their ages, and now she was beginning to understand.

Two weeks before the Quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor, Chimera brought the eight candidates for Manticore into the Hall, and explained everything to them.  They like all the other people who had joined so far, were given a week to decide if they wanted to be a part of Manticore or not.

In the end, all of them joined, although Rose was fairly certain Carey only joined because James was involved, and Melissa said Carey had a huge case of hero worship for James.  James was almost the only person in Hogwarts that took it for granted that Carey was just like everyone else.  James didn't assume that the long time Carey took to make decisions was because he was slow, but because he was thinking all the way through the problem.

Dirk Clave was another sort of headache for Manticore.  Whatever it was that allowed him to know what was going on right then in remote areas of the world was beyond the fledgling skills of Manticore.  Melissa and Emily came to James.  They wanted to tell April all about Manticore.  Since she already knew about the links and bonds, she was the perfect experienced Mediwitch to help.  James consulted with Rose and Tiffany, and the day before the Match, she was offered the same type of position Professor Dumbledore had.

The Gryffindor versus Slytherin Match was on a Saturday in early May.  Rose woke that morning, and since Lisa was still working on her first cup of coffee, she dressed quietly and slipped out of their room.  In the common room, she found James and Tiffany engaged in their favorite sport.  "You two are aware we have a match this morning aren't you?"  she said, still half asleep.

James's hand never slowed, as he opened his shields enough to show her that while they indulged in the hair care, they were going over what they knew about the Slytherin team, and discussing Adam's latest plays.  "Way ahead of you Flower Child." sent Tiffany.

"I realize that you know everything James knows, but to me, that name is from a private joke between James and I, and your use of it is unwarranted and unwelcome."  Rose was still not fully awake yet, and for just an instant, before she clamped down on her shields, Rose broadcast anger, hate, fear, jealousy and bitterness.

James and Tiffany were startled out of the Rapport.  "Rose?" questioned James, as he got up and crossed the room to the windowsill she liked to sit in.  He sat down with her.

"I'm sorry.  I never meant for you to know about this, but I was not awake yet, and I was really not ready to hear your nickname for me from her."

James focused on the one part of that that was most important to him.  "When did we start keeping things from each other?" he asked quietly.

Rose looked at him sadly.  "Ever since you started noticing how she looks, and her female form."  Rose searched his face and eyes with her eyes, as if looking for traces of her brother.  "You've gone somewhere I can't follow because of that damn Soulbond.  We just don't think alike anymore."

James considered what she was saying, and the bitterness behind her words and he rubbed his chin.  It was an errant thought; that he needed to shave again, that crystallized the problem for him.  He cast a mirror spell on the window, and looked at the two of them.  That they were related was obvious, but where twins had sat last year, there was now an older brother sitting with his younger sister.

"It's not fair to you is it Rose?  I get a tighter Bond than even the one we share, and all you get is to watch me slip away from you."

Rose sighed, and began turning.  James turned with her in a habit of long standing, so that they ended up back-to-back, leaning on each other.  Rose relaxed into James and the two of them dropped all their shields on the twinbond, holding nothing back, in a way they had not done since James and Tiffany bonded.  James felt the things Rose had hidden for so long.  Her fear of being alone in her head, her worry for him and the aging of his other bond, and the loneliness she'd being feeling for so long.

"What can we do?  You're bonded, and this thing we're doing is too important to let one or two people stand in the way."

It was James's turn to sigh, as he considered her words, and the emotions that drove them.  "It does matter, Sister mine.  I owe you an apology.  I've let myself get away from you, and there is no excuse for that.  We're going to fix that."

Rose smiled, and James could feel her spirits lift.  "OK," she sent, "I don't know what you're going to do, but I have faith in you."

James grinned, and twisted suddenly, so that Rose fell into his lap.  "In the meantime, Sister mine, I think it's been entirely too long since your ribs were counted."

Rose tried to pull away.  "James, don't you dare."

The twins reached for each other's sensitive spots as Tiffany watched with amusement.  James was bigger, but Rose was more devious, and knew exactly how to make him loosen up enough for her to attack again.  The shrieks and laughter brought some of the early rising Gryffindors down the stairs to see what all the commotion was about, and so maybe twenty people saw the two of them separate, grab their wands and hex each other.

Two clouds of smoke enveloped the twins, and when it cleared there were two giant slugs where the twins had stood.  One slug had red, white and blue 'racing' stripes the length of its body, and the other was covered in green roses.  The laughter from the Gryffindors standing there brought most of the house down to see what was going on.

The two slugs were pushing against each other in an attempt to force the other slug into a corner.  It soon became apparent that they were playing an old game, with rules known only to the two slugs.  Gryffindor was just starting to bet on one or another of the slugs when the portrait hole opened, and Professor McGonagall stepped through.  The sudden and total silence warned the two slugs, and they froze, with their eyestalks swiveled back towards the professor.

Professor McGonagall surveyed the overturned chairs and tables in silence.  She looked down, where a liberal dollop of slug slime was centimeters from her right foot and spoke in a conversational tone.  "I suggest," she said, as if seeing two giant slugs destroying the Gryffindor common room was an everyday thing, "that every student capable of walking disappear.  Now."

The two-legged Gryffindors vanished, except for Tiffany who hesitated.  "Professor, there's something…" Tiffany trailed off as the professor held a finger to her lips and pointed up the stairs.  Tiffany looked at the two slugs, and went up the stairs.  Professor McGonagall looked at the two slugs.

"I am impressed by the transfigurations.  Excellent works for second year students.  However, I am concerned about the noise and mess you have made of the common room."  She stared at the slugs and sighed.  "It's very hard to tell what a slug is thinking."  She pulled her wand out and cast "Finite incanteum" on the two slugs.

James and Rose stared at each other, and then at Professor McGonagall.  As usual, James's first thought was irreverent.  "The professor makes a beautiful slug."

The Professor was a giant slug, much as the twins had been seconds ago.  However, the professor was a calico marked slug, and judging from the way the eyestalks followed the approaching twins, not a happy slug either.  James and Rose pulled their wands and cast the "Finite incanteum" together.  James was talking before the professor was completely human again.

"It was not deliberate, it's a new prank enhancer we're testing.  Tiffany did try to warn you.  If a single person tries to break a prank, it transfers to that person."

Professor McGonagall sighed, and looked pointedly around the common room.  "Breakfast is in twenty-five minutes.  This room will be clean and ordered before then."  She stepped back out the portrait hole, hearing the twins casting and the pounding of feet rushing down the stairs as she left.

She walked down the hall considering what the appropriate punishment for this would be.  She finally decided to hold off until after the match to decide what she would do.  She looked around, and smiled happily at the thought of today's match.  The whole school had seen the skills of the linked players, and Gryffindor had the only fully linked team in Hogwarts.  She wondered if Professor Snape would try to weasel out of their bet.

For over fifteen years now, the two Househeads had been betting on every Gryffindor/Slytherin match.  With Chimera as the Gryffindor house team, Minerva had a hunch that bet might be over.

The match was scheduled to begin at 1000, and by 0940, the stands were nearly full.  The announcer, a fourth year Ravenclaw named Denise Crosby, was giving some facts and statistics before the match began.

"Good morning Quidditch fans.  This morning Gryffindor plays Slytherin for the House Cup.  Gryffindor has been favored in this match since their astounding performance against Ravenclaw earlier in the year, but only barely, as Slytherin's commanding performance against Hufflepuff was truly impressive."

Denise moistened her throat with a sip of tea, and started naming the teams.  "Today's seekers are Tiffany Potter for Gryffindor and William Durington for Slytherin.  Tiffany Potter, oldest daughter of Harry Potter and the third straight Potter to play for the Gryffindor house team is the odds on favorite in that pairing."

"Slytherin's chasers are Sonya Gebbs, Achmed Anari and Geri Newson.  They'll be facing the team of Emma Weasley, Melissa Xavier and Gryffindor team captain Lisa Malfoy.  Both sets of Chasers gave amazing performances in their earlier matches, using truly astounding strategies and today's match promises to be exciting."

Denise took another sip of tea as she checked the notes her friend Emily Kitchen had given her.  "The Keepers are Hangeld Hagrid for Gryffindor and Team Captain Charles Witherspoon for Slytherin.  On paper, Slytherin has all the advantages in this match-up, as Witherspoon has four years experience and nearly twenty matches to his record.  Hagrid is playing in only his second match ever."

Denise's voice took on a teasing note.  "Of course, the fact that Hagrid is nearly the size of the goals might even the odds a bit."  A wave of laughter swept through the stands.

"Beaters for today are Larry and Marlin Jerrands, seventh year Slytherins, and James and Rose Evans, second year Gryffindors."  She checked her notes again.  "According to resident Ravenclaw researcher Emily Kitchen, this will be the first time in one hundred and sixty-five years that twins have met on the Pitch in the Beaters slots.  Here again, the Slytherins appear to have the upper hand.  The Jerrands have six years of experience, and a well earned reputation for coordinated teamwork and occasional brutal double-teaming."

She drank some more tea and continued.  "Gryffindor's Beaters, the Evans are mere second year students, who are rapidly gaining a reputation for excellent teamwork, although," and here her voice took on that teasing note, "only one of them has a reputation for occasional brutality."  The laughter was mixed with murmurs this time.  "What is not widely known, is that the Evans twins are no strangers to Quidditch competitions."  Surprised talk ran through the stands as Denise accepted another page of notes from Emily.  She gave the crowd a quick run down on the North American Jr. Quidditch League and the procedures that culled the fourteen best players from America and Canada.

"James and Rose Evans have been the Beaters for the winning Red team for the last three years, and their teammates have nothing but good things to say about their performance on the Pitch."  Denise stressed the last three words, and the crowd, used to her style of announcing after a year and a half of it, quieted some so they would hear the rest of that sentence.

"However," she continued after a few seconds, "there were a number of complaints about small disks and pranks off the Pitch, that their teammates would like to talk to them about."  The laughter rolled through the crowd again.  That James and Rose were responsible for the wooden prank disks that were covering the school as well as a series of higher level pranks was an open secret.  Everyone knew that they were the responsible ones, but nobody had caught them yet.

In the Gryffindor waiting area, where Adam and the team were going over the final plans, Chimera was laughing also, until James and Tiffany froze, identical looks of purely unholy glee on their faces, and in their thoughts.  Rose felt the spike of James's emotions and groaned.

Emma looked at the twins.  James was radiant, like a knight face to face with the Holy Grail.  Rose on the other hand, was slumped in the chair, shaking her head and moaning.  "What's with James, and why do you sound like Moaning Myrtle, Rose?"

Rose looked at Emma.  "The last time he felt like that, we got sued."

Chimera, except for James and Tiffany, who were busy with their own thoughts, stared at Rose.  "What did you get sued over?" asked Emma curiously.

Tiffany started giggling.  James flushed, and evaded the question.  "It was our first public prank, and it went a little wrong."  He said, and now both the Evans were blushing at the memories.  "It's a very long story, we'll tell you about it after the match."

Emma grinned at him.  "I take it you have something interesting in mind for a prank."

James smiled again, and his emotions were laced with an evil glee.  "Consider this if you will.  The Quidditch stands are deserted most of the time, and we know the exact time and date that they will be full again."

Everyone except Tiffany was staring at James in shock.  Lisa found her voice first.  "You want to lay a prank on the stands.  What about Professors, and the Headmaster?"

James was still smiling, and merely raised an eyebrow at Lisa, who buried her head in her hands.  "Don't say it Yank, I know what you're going to say.  Calculated Risk."

James had a dreamy look on his face as he thought about it.  "The whole school at one time.  I'll have to think of something really good for this one, and since we're not playing in the next match, we'll get pranked as well."

James, Tiffany and Rose started plotting, and soon, all of Chimera was involved.

Outside, Denise was finishing the preliminaries.  "Since Gryffindor is playing, Professor Flitwick will be the referee.  Professor Potter says that is to avoid charges of favoritism towards his daughter's team."  Denise smiled.  "Personally, I think it's because he's afraid of what Madame Potter would do if he called a foul on Tiffany."  More laughter spread through the stands, and both the Potters were among the laughing.  Ginny Potter had loudly and sarcastically told off enough students that came to her with injuries caused by their own stupidity that her temper was fast becoming a school legend.

Denise got the start signal and the game began.  "Ladies and Gentlemen, now entering the Pitch is the Slytherin team of Witherspoon, Jerrands, Jerrands, Anari, Newson, Gebbs and Durington."  The Slytherin team flew around the Pitch once, and then waited.

The Gryffindor house team was introduced next.  "And now, the Gryffindors.  Hagrid, Evans, Evans, Malfoy, Weasley, Xavier and Potter."

The two teams faced off and Professor Flitwick took the team captains aside.  James and Rose were facing the Jerrands.  "Look Marlin, it's the Yanks."  Larry's voice was falsely cheerful.

"Larry, I know they had to cross the Atlantic to get a decent education, but do we really have to let that sort in?"  Marlin's voice was openly hateful and sarcastic, and Rose felt the anger starting in James.

Larry was just oozing sympathy.  "Be nice Marlin.  Think of it as charity for the under-privileged."  The Jerrands smirked at their younger counterparts from Gryffindor.

James looked at Rose when the Slytherins stopped.  "Insults, Rose.  About"

Rose picked up the sentence.  "Grade three, Brother."

"Definitely second rate."

"I hope James,"

"That they play"

"Better than they"

"Babble.  Too true."

James smiled coldly at the rapidly flushing Jerrands.  "Allow us to show you how to insult people properly."  he said in a patronizing tone.

Rose started the insults.  "James do you suppose they were this ugly before they started catching Bludgers with their faces?"

"Not unless their mother was a goblin."

"She couldn't be.  Goblins only mate with beings that can count to eleven with their shoes on."

"So true, Rose.  These two don't look smart enough to come in out of the rain."

James was waiting for the Bludger release while they insulted the Jerrands.  When it came, the Slytherin Beaters were caught flatfooted as James and Rose lifted after the Bludgers.  "Hey," James called back mockingly, "Are you two playing or what?"

James opened a link to Chimera.  "Can y'all take control?  I promise there will not be any Beaters or Bludgers to worry about."

Chimera felt the anger in James.  Lisa was the first to speak.  "What's going on, James?"

"These two freaks just insulted my country and my family.  Rose and I are merely going to teach them the error of their ways."

Most of Chimera spared a second's pity for the Jerrands.  James's fierce loyalty to his Family first and then his country was not a button you wanted to push.  Those two had just pushed both of them at once.  Emma didn't even think twice.  "We can do it," she said happily,  "and flying one on one against Sonya and them will be fun."

James and Rose had control of the Bludgers and were batting them to each other in a long-standing habit.  "Sister mine, shall we mesh?"

Rose grinned at she knocked a Bludger back to James, watching the one he was hitting towards her.  "Surely, Brother mine."

"Meshing" was a technique James and Rose had perfected after they had spelled their twinbond.  They would drop all the things that made them separate, and for a time they could reach each other almost as deeply as the Soulbond.  Rose opened her Sight, looking about ten seconds into the future.  "Got them, Larry's low and right to you, going to break left."  A dim memory of the Sorting Hat warning her about using the Sight for personal things crossed Rose's mind, but she ignored it.  "Marlin's high left to me, going to break down and left."

Using the Bludgers, Rose's Sight and eleven years of twinbond and teamwork, James and Rose made the entire game a personal assault on the Jerrands.  One of them would hit a Bludger, not at where a Jerrand was, but at where they were going to be.  The other would do the same to the other Jerrand, and they would race to get into position to strike the Bludger that the other Evans twin had just hit.

Using the superior speed and nimbleness of the Starblades, the Evans literally herded the Jerrands all over the Pitch.  They completely ignored the other players, concentrating on the total humiliation of Larry and Marlin.

Denise was trying to watch everything at once, and with the help of Emily, mostly succeeding.  "Quidditch fans, I have never seen a match quite like this one.  Each position is playing separately from the others.  The Gryffindor Beaters are in total control of the Bludgers and the Slytherin Beaters, to the point that I don't think the Slytherin team has even touched the Bludgers yet.  The Evans are clearly the better Beaters, despite their youth."

She looked at the score, and then back at the game.  "The score is fifty to sixty, with Slytherin leading, but Gryffindor has the Quaffle, and they're off.  The Chaser's match is a thing of beauty.  Both teams fly as if the Chasers for their team share a single brain, intricate maneuvers and split second timing dominate their play, and the whole match is an aerial ballet."  She watched the Gryffindor Chasers long enough to be sure of what they were about to do.  "I don't know what you call this move, but it's Gryffindor's best weapon.  Malfoy is the top of a triangle, with Weasley and Xavier at the lower points.  Now, all three head for the same point in the air, and they meet!  They are all with in a meter of each other, and spinning clockwise.  Under the cover of the billowing robes, they're passing the Quaffle.  Now they break apart, just fifty meters from the goal lines, and each of them is heading for a different goal, but which one has the Quaffle?"

Denise was watching the Chasers intently, and Emily had to pull on her robes twice to get her attention.  "Direct your attention to the Seekers.  They're both diving for a point in space, and yes, there's the Snitch!"

Tiffany had seen the snitch first, but it had been far too close to Durington to risk going after it.  She had been trying to work her way into a better position when William had seen it, and it became a race.

In the end, only luck gave Tiffany the Snitch and the win.  She had not been close enough to catch the Snitch, and William would have gotten it, until it made one of those random darting moves, and moved right at Tiffany.  Between the speed of the Starblade, the excitement of the moment and the speed of the Snitch, Tiffany misjudged the Snitch slightly, and it smacked into her hand while she was still reaching for it.  The Snitch struck her little finger, breaking it, but Tiffany kept her grip on the Snitch.

"There's the Game!  Gryffindor wins the Cup!"

Slightly higher than Tiffany, and on the other side of the Pitch, James's head whipped around as he felt Tiffany's finger break.  He stopped, ignoring the Bludger, letting it go as he concentrated on Tiffany's injury.

Marlin was so embarrassed, humiliated and angry though, that he didn't care the game was over.  While almost everyone was watching the seekers, Marlin smashed the Bludger straight at James's back.  The Bludger struck James squarely in the back of the head, erasing his consciousness and the links.

James fell off his broomstick, and they both tumbled toward the ground.


	18. Second Year's end

**_Year's End._**

Tiffany had barely felt her finger break in the heat of the Match and the joy of taking the House Cup.  James's pain she felt for the barest instant.  The event that caused her heart to stop and nearly made her lose her grip on her Broomstick was losing the touch of James in the links, and their Soulbond.

For eighteen months, James had been there in her head.  Waking, sleeping, it didn't matter what she was doing or when, James was there.  Every thought, feeling, emotion, anything that passed through her head had been doubled, and suddenly there was nothing.

A fear deeper than anything she'd ever felt immobilized her for a split second, then her head tracked on the last place she'd felt him.  Her heart nearly stopped again as she saw him falling, and she dove, pushing the Starblade in a race against gravity.

Rose had not been as scared when James had been jerked out of the link, but she had felt him knocked unconscious at least three times before this.  Rose had been much closer to James, and she dove after his limp form.  She vaguely noted the rest of Chimera heading their way, but her attention was on James.

In the stands, a frozen crowd watched the two girls closest to James racing to catch him before he reached the ground.  Hangeld and the Chasers were too far away to help, and Adam, who had been on the ground, was far too low to do any good.

Rose was the first to reach James, and she reached out, grabbing him by the robes as she started braking, slowing his fall.  Tiffany arrived a second later, and the two girls lowered him to Adam, who had been the next to arrive.  The three of them carefully laid James on the ground, and barely had time to get out of the way, as Melissa arrived and started examining him.

Mercy and the other Manticore Mediwizards were pushing their way through the crowd, and as word spread from the people that had seen what happened, more Manticores joined them.  In just a few minutes, all of the Manticores were heading for the Pitch, and they were not happy.

Professor Dumbledore was sitting in the stands with Professors Snape, McGonagall, Potter and Moody, as well as Madame Potter, who had already joined the group heading for the Pitch.  "I think," said Professor Dumbledore, "that we had better go down there as well.  Mr. Evans's friends do not look pleased with this turn of events."  The Professors had an easier time getting through the crowd than the Manticores did.

On the Pitch, Melissa was exploring the large soft spot in James's skull with Magic and her hands.  She frowned as they both told her that James was in serious trouble.  A circular section nearly four inches across the back of his head had been crushed, and there were bone fragments and blood pooling in his skull, putting pressure on his brain, and tearing more of the brain tissue, as the fragments shifted.

Melissa was trying to remember a spell that would stabilize James until Madame Potter got here, because this level of injury was far beyond Melissa's current skill.  As James's vital signs slowed even more Melissa felt something inside her burst, and a sudden heat washed through her, erasing her panic and worry.  The heat moved down her arms and into her hands, which began to glow a deep green.  She pushed the glow into James's injury, and the healing talent began restoring and repairing the injury in James's head.

Melissa couldn't explain how she did what she did with the Healing talent, anymore than James and Rose could explain the Soulbond.  She watched, seeing the injuries inside James's head disappear as the fragments were eased out, and fitted back together like a jigsaw puzzle.  At the same time, the brain tissue was repaired and any other damage was wiped away, as if it had never happened.

She looked up at Tiffany, feeling the panic pounding at the link.  "He'll be fine," she said, trying to calm that panic.

Relief washed through the link, and then Tiffany heard Emma's thoughts.  Emma's shields were iffy at best, and the angrier she got, the worse her shields got.  She had seen what Marlin did, and Tiffany saw the scene in her mind.

The instant fury that washed through the link erased everything else in an instant.  Tiffany found Marlin, and started towards him, with her wand in her hand.  The thoughts in her head made Chimera pale, and except for Rose and Melissa, they took after Tiffany.

Professor Flitwick, who had taken Marlin in hand as soon as the boy landed, saw the approaching girl and had no problem figuring out what she was going to do.  "Miss Potter, stop," he called and she didn't hear him at all.  "Miss Potter, stop right there."

Tiffany barely glanced at him as she continued her stalking of Marlin.  Remembering what had happened the last time these two children were angry, Professor Flitwick did the only logical thing.  He cast "immobilize" on Tiffany.

Tiffany froze as the spell caught her, and the fury edged higher inside her.  She started moving again, slowly, as if she was under water, or wearing heavy weights on her arms and legs, but she was moving.  The rest of the House team that was not with James caught up then, and Hangeld held her arms as Emma relieved her of her wand.

Lisa looked at Marlin, as if he was a new species of bug, and one that was about to be extinct.  "You have to be the stupidest person alive, or the craziest.  James is going to wake up soon, and he's not going to be happy with you.  Ask Crabbe what happens to people that anger James."  A sudden vicious thought from Tiffany made Lisa grimace.  Not that it matters, even if James leaves anything of you, Tiffany wants to skin you alive, slowly.  With a spoon."

"I would assume," said Professor Flitwick dryly, "that releasing Miss Potter right now would not be recommended."

The four chimeras holding Tiffany considered the invective and thoughts running through her mind and spoke simultaneously.  "No."

Emma eyed Marlin angrily.  "Unless you would really like to see if Tiffany could actually disembowel him with a spoon."

"I believe the school could do without that display, Miss Weasley."  Professor Dumbledore and the other instructors had arrived in time to hear that last comment.  The headmaster looked around at the groups gathering on the pitch.  All of the Manticores were standing with the Gryffindors.  The Slytherins, minus their Manticores were standing behind their house team, while Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were off to one side, but closer to Manticore and Gryffindor.

Professor Dumbledore looked at the angry Manticores and noted the number of wands being fingered and the rising tension in the air.  He acted to defuse the anger before somebody cast a "Finite Incanteum" on Tiffany, or something less harmless on Marlin.  "Professor Snape.  Please escort the Jerrands back to their House."  He looked at the Jerrands pointedly.  "I will be wanting to talk to them later."

He looked over to where Madame Potter was assisting Melissa in the final part of healing James and continued.  "Professor Potter, would you watch over Mr. Evans while he wakes up please?"

Harry looked again at Tiffany, who was still staring after Marlin with a glare that should have killed him on the spot.  He remembered the scene the last time these two were furious, and was heading for James even as he acknowledged his instructions.

The headmaster looked at Tiffany again, in time to see Adam wince, and take a step away from her.  "Is something wrong, Mr. Brooks?" asked Professor Dumbledore.

"Tiffany wants to remove Marlin from the gene pool."  When that comment met with blank looks, Adam explained it.  "It's a Muggle expression, suggesting castration before he has a chance to breed."  Adam considered the thoughts pouring down the link from Tiffany, and shivered.  "I wish she'd drop that bloody obsession with the spoon though."

Before anyone could ask what a spoon had to do with castration, a change came over Chimera.  Four heads swiveled around to look at James, drawing everyone's attention that way.  James was raising his head and blinking.  He focused on Tiffany and spoke.  "There's something broken in Tiffany's hand.  Would you please look at it, Melissa?"

Hangeld had loosened his grip on Tiffany when she stopped struggling, and suddenly she was moving again.  She ran to James, too relieved to feel him in her head again to be angry.  Tiffany dropped to her knees beside James and wrapped her arms around him.  Melissa had to pry the injured hand away from James to check the finger, and when she did, Tiffany saw the blood on her hands.

Her anger blazed up again, and James blinked.  Tiffany showed him what had happened and James's eyes took on the same cold emotionless look he had had while he beat Crabbe to protect Mercy.  James and Tiffany looked at each other, and then evil smirks grew on both their faces.

James sat up, supported by Tiffany and Rose.  He looked out at the crowd, seeing the tension even as he found Sonya and Jerrick in the crowd.  He motioned for both of them to join him.  When they arrived, he pretended to be talking privately to them, while insuring enough students heard him to start rumours.  "Sonya, inform your teammates that there will be no retaliation for today's actions while they are at Hogwarts.  Afterward… well, we'll remember them."  He lowered his voice a bit more, making the listening students strain to hear his next comment.  "Privately, you can tell them that we'll be looking for them sometime this summer.  Remind Marlin that Tiffany thought of skinning, gutting and castrating him with a spoon, and we'll have months to refine those plans and acquire suitable spoons."

As Sonya left on her errand, James stood up and Tiffany wormed her way under his arm, as close to his side as she could get.  James spoke to Jerrick.  "Jerrick, spread the word to Manticore.  My Lady has some…" James paused absently, as he rubbed the back of his head gingerly.  "interesting plans for Marlin.  I will be annoyed with anyone that interferes with those plans.  No Manticore is to do anything to him, is that clear?"  Jerrick acknowledged the orders, and found his assistants.  After a short conversation with Jerrick, they began talking to the various teams using the rings.

Tiffany was still glued tightly to James's side, and James was glad of it.  He was beginning to feel the affects of a major Healing.  _"Greeneyes, let's go.  I am not falling on my face in front of the whole school."_  

Chimera started toward the school, with Rose supporting Melissa and Hangeld carrying almost everyone's Starblades.  They stopped by the group of Professors, and James looked at Tiffany.  She looked back, sighed and spoke to Professor Flitwick.  "I must apologize for my disregard of your instructions, Sir.  I was somewhat upset."

Both of the professor's eyebrows went up at that understatement, but all he said was, "accepted, Miss Potter, but it's still going to cost you five points and a detention."  Tiffany nodded, and Chimera continued making their way toward the school.  Emma was in the back, and only Professor Dumbledore saw her rubbing her arm with a bemused expression.

The headmaster suddenly remembered the way Tiffany had thrown off the spell she had been under.  Just to be sure, he asked Professor Flitwick if he had released the spell.  The professor's startled look was all the answer he needed, and Professor Dumbledore made a mental note to keep an eye on the budding warlock, as it appeared that she might be ready to start changing.

By dinner, dozens of rumours were flying around the school.  Jerrick had 'accidentally' changed James's words a little bit when he was talking to his assistants, and now no Manticore would have anything to do with Marlin.  Even a simple request to pass the salt was ignored by the Sphinx team.  Since they couldn't always tell the two apart, they extended that ban to Larry as well.

At dinner, word of Marlin's punishment spread quickly.  The incident had cost Slytherin 300 points and Marlin thirty detentions.  Half of his detentions were to be served with Professor McGonagall, who was upset at the attack on one of her House.  The other half would be served with Professor Snape, who was absolutely furious with the events of the day.  Marlin's point loss, coupled with the loss of the match, guaranteed a fourth place finish in the house standings for Slytherin this year, even behind Hufflepuff.  Hufflepuff had not beaten Slytherin in house points in more than twenty years, and Professor Snape had plans of his own for Marlin.

Marlin had also been removed from the house team, and Larry had left with him.  James and Tiffany remained silent about the whole thing, except to say that everything was settled in their minds.  Since that comment could mean anything, it did nothing to erase the picture most people had of the two of them hunting Marlin down this summer and doing unspecified things to them involving spoons.

The only thing that happened to them however, was an untraceable prank.  It seemed however, that this prank could not be broken, and the Jerrands spent a week sequestered away in the hospital wing, until the truly appalling stench, black and white fur and the large bushy tail went away, and people could approach them without gagging and throwing up.

James and Tiffany were questioned about the stunt, but the inquiry was dropped quickly with Tiffany's first words.  "If I had done anything to them, they wouldn't have skin to grow fur on."

James did have a talk with Rose, telling her that when he said 'any' Manticore, that included her.  Rose merely shrugged, unrepentant.  Her only comment was that Family was more important than Manticore.

Two weeks later, as James and Tiffany were in rapport in front of the Gryffindor common room fire late one night, Rose came down the stairs.  She stood in front of them, and they could feel her amusement.  They opened their eyes to look at her, and realized that the rest of Chimera was listening over the link.

_"I have been appointed by Chimera to give you two something.  I think it's because they think James won't do anything to me if he isn't amused, but whatever."_  She pulled a parchment from her robes and began to read it.

"We, the other members of Chimera present these tokens of our esteem to the only people that we know that are either sufficiently imaginative, or bloodthirsty enough to want them.  The only condition on this gift comes from Adam, who politely requests that Tiffany stop thinking of this item and the gene pool in the same thought."

Rose handed each of them a small package, hugged them and slipped back upstairs.  James and Tiffany were examining the slim rectangular gifts.  Tiffany sent an open thought over the link.  _"Gee,"_ she sent, in mock amazement, _"I wonder what this could be?"_

They tore the paper off the gifts to reveal two black lacquered boxes about a foot long and four inches wide.  **_(Avis, can you convert that?  The laptop I'm using doesn't have the metric conversion chart I normally use.  Thanks, Raven.)_**  Inside the boxes were two silver spoons, about eleven inches long and with the front half of the bowl sharpened.  On the handle was an inscription:  "With our hopes that you never need them, Chimera."  James grinned and sent an open thought down the link.  _"I wonder how many people would run screaming if we took these to breakfast."_

Amusement rolled through the link as Chimera said goodnight, and James and Tiffany were alone again.  James read the parchment again, and then tucked it inside the lid of his case.  _"I have to agree with Adam, that whole gene pool and spoon thing has to stop, Greeneyes."_

Tiffany smiled as she moved in front of James.  _"I only thought of it once, or maybe twice."  _She protested, as she passed the brush James was reaching for back.

James shivered as they sank back into the Rapport that brought them closer and closer, and felt so good.  _"It only takes once, sweetheart."_

The emergence of Melissa's Healing power was a minor annoyance to James, as such things were rare enough to make the paper, and kick up a bit of fuss.  Melissa ignored all the letters, and since the reporters couldn't get to Melissa at Hogwarts, the fuss soon died down.

Melissa took the Centaurs up on their offer, and spent two hours every other day at the edge of the forest, learning to Heal animals and Magical Beasts, as well as the non human intelligences.  James had insisted on an escort, and Professor Dumbledore had agreed.  While they were not going into the Forbidden Forest itself, they were close enough to it to make a Noid like James worry.  Since almost all the Chimeras had projects of some kind going, Melissa's usual escort was Rose, who was talking to the Centaurs about seeing the future anyway.

James and Rose were also working on regaining the closeness they had shared, and that led to some truly entertaining pranks, as well as some long overdue revenge for Rose.  Every Saturday found the Twins in Manticore's lab, brewing, casting or otherwise creating new pranks.

Tiffany tried to help at first, but soon gave up.  Melissa, who still wanted to know everything about the various links, questioned her about the way the twins worked.  Tiffany frowned as she tried to explain it.  "It's as if the two of them share a brain.  When I think something, James knows what it is, but he may not understand why I think that way.  With those two, it's as if a word or two sets them both to thinking about the exact same thing, and they expand on each other."

Tiffany was struggling to explain it, but she kept on.  "Then, as they talk about something, suddenly, one of them will have an idea, that is related to whatever they're talking about, but might be a good prank.  By the time I've followed their talk, and figured out what they're talking about from James's mind, they've finished the prank, and are one to something new."

Melissa and April Erskine, who had accepted the offer to become a Manticore, spent the next three Saturdays observing the twins at work.  They finally concluded the twin's ability to adapt anything was some sort of unique thing, some sort of talent that allowed them to create a new magical spell without really understanding how it worked.  After they built the first one, they would take it back apart, and figure out how to make more, in a process Muggles called 'reverse-engineering'.  Some experiments soon proved that their talent only worked on things and spells they had created in the first place.

During the course of the tests and experiments, they created four new pranks.  'Follower' would make any object follow you around until you told it to stay, 'Multi-lingual' would make up to ten people hear ten different languages being spoken, and 'Paper Chase' would cause anything made of paper move away from you, staying just out of reach.

By far, the best one they created during this time was 'Polter-grip'.  During the first year they had been at Hogwarts, Rose had promised Peeves that she would find a way to prank a ghost, and after her told James about it, they set to work.  The result was a shimmering disk.

During dinner one night, Peeves was heckling some of the Gryffindor students, and James called to him.  Peeves floated over, hovering just above the table.  "Look, it's the bloodthirsty Yank.  Fallen off your Broomstick recently?"  Peeves said.  James just smiled at him, and motioned him closer.  Peeves drifted a little closer, and as he came within arm's reach, Rose tossed the disk at him, where it stuck to him, just as the ordinary disks would stick to people.

"What is this?" said Peeves, trying to pull the disk off.

Rose smiled sweetly at Peeves as she filled her plate with stewed turnips.  "Do you remember me telling you that I would find a way to prank a ghost?"

Peeves froze, watching her.  "Yes, what of it?"

Rose stood up, and pushed the plate of turnips into Peeves's face.  When she pulled the plate away, the turnips stayed stuck to Peeves.  The Gryffindor table shook as the Gryffindors exploded into laughter.  Rose stuck a dinner roll into each of Peeves ears as she explained.  "This is called 'Polter-grip', and it causes material objects to stick to ectoplasm entities, such as ghosts."

Most of the school was watching now, and the other ghosts were gathering.  Peeves had been an annoyance to enough people that everyone was enjoying the sight of him being used as a plate, since a few more Gryffindors were adding things to his anatomy.

Peeves tried to sink through the table, but found himself stuck to the table.  "Anything material, Peeves."  Rose said as she watched him struggle.  "So you really want to avoid touching anything that you can't move, because you won't be able to move.  That prevents you from going through a wall and getting away before I'm done with you."  Rose considered the suddenly still ghost, and pulled out a camera.  She took a couple of pictures and put it away again.

"How long does it last?"  Peeves asked, in a voice muffled by turnips and other food items.

About an hour, or until the person that cast it on you releases it.  Now hush, we're trying to eat."  With that comment, Rose went back to eating, as if there was not a food-covered ghost sitting in front of her.

At the head table Professor Moody turned to Harry, sitting next to him.  "Just think, those two are going to be your in laws."

Harry sighed and then grinned.  "They can't be any worse than Fred and George, and I've been dealing with them for twenty years now."

Professor Moody smirked.  "There's an entertaining thought, the Weasley twins and Evans twins in the same house.  You won't be able to turn around without changing size, shape or color."

Ginny was sitting next to Harry, and she looked at Professor Moody.  "Yes we will.  I'll make sure of it."

Professor Moody watched her for a minute, waiting for her to say something else.  When she just kept eating, he sighed.  "I'm going to regret this, but just how can you keep those four from pranking everything in sight?"

Madame Potter smiled, and it was not a 'have a nice day' kind of smile.  "With a Muggle medical technique Melissa told me about, called suppositories."

Harry shivered, and at the blank expression on professor Moody's face, explained what it was.  Professor Moody shook his head.  "You're a brave man to stay married to that woman, Harry."

Harry Potter looked at his wife, and the mother of their three children.  He smiled at her, and teased her.  "She's not that bad, as long as you don't give her raw meat."

Ginny looked sideways at Harry and reached for his leg under the table.  "Be nice." she said, as she squeezed his leg under the table.

Harry smiled at her again, and bent over to whisper something in her ear.  Whatever he said made her blush, and go back to eating.

That Monday, the Owl Post brought a long letter from Robert to the twins.  They discussed the letter with Chimera over lunch.  Robert wanted to tell the families of the Manticores the truth during the Hogsmeade week after training.

James quoted from his letter.  "We're getting too many questions to hold off much longer.  If we tell them that first night, we have a week to convince them to stay, or to minimize the damages of them leaving."

Chimera talked about it briefly, but remembering all the problems over the winter holidays, they agreed.  That night they warned all the Manticores that they might encounter some resistance to their going on the 'internship' this year.

Some of the Manticores did indeed get letters from home suggesting that they could skip a year, or drop out entirely.  With Rose and Melissa's help, and many Owls, all of the Manticores finally got permission to go.

In May, just two weeks before the end of the year, Ravenclaw met Hufflepuff in the last Quidditch match of the year.  Ravenclaw's linked team dominated the match, and they won the game, even though Hufflepuff's Seeker feinted the Ravenclaw Seeker out of position and caught the Snitch.

She said later that there was no way they were going to catch up, and she simply wanted a decent score on the game.  The final score was Ravenclaw: two hundred and seventy points to Hufflepuff's one hundred and eighty points.

Only after the game did James's prank go off.  As people started to rise, everyone in the stands was stuck fast to their seats as a giant Chimera appeared on the pitch.  It looked around and opened its mouth.  "Have a nice summer," it said, in a voice that echoed from one end of the pitch to the other, "and remember, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes is the sole distributor of the Green Flower line of pranks, except for me."  As it finished talking, a small pouch appeared over the head of every spectator and fell into their hands.  The Chimera and the spell that kept everyone in their seats disappeared at the same time.  Thanks to a pre-arranged signal and the Multi-port keys, so did the human Chimera team.

Professor Snape was examining the pouch, which contained a random assortment of Green Flower pranks, and looking at the crowd, where a number of students were already falling prey to various pranks.  As they mayhem spread through the crowd, he spoke to Professor Dumbledore.  "I think this is fairly convincing proof of Chimera's identity.  Few students have the skills to pull this off, and of those few, only the Evans twins have the money to give away this many pranks."

When the headmaster didn't say anything, he turned to find Dumbledore staring at the slowly fading Cheshire cat grins where Chimera had been sitting.  The headmaster looked at him, and his eyes were troubled.  "After Voldemort managed to take Harry and Cedric from the Tri-Wizard's tournament, I had powerful Anti-Portkey wards set up around Hogwarts.  The Portkeys the Evans use should not work out here.  I should be the only person that can build a Portkey that works out here."

Professor Snape watched the grins fade out.  "So, they have found a way around the wards.  So what?"

"If they can do it, who else can figure it out?"

The headmaster sent for James and Rose as soon as he was back in his office.  They showed up with Tiffany, and all three of them were wearing their best 'innocent' look.  Professor Dumbledore didn't even smile, although he did note that Tiffany's innocent look had improved since she started associating with the Evans children.

"How did you break the Anti-Portkey wards?"  he asked, deciding to get right to the point.

James looked confused.  "What wards?"  he asked.

Professor Dumbledore frowned, and checked the wards.  They were still in place.  He questioned James for a few minutes, and answered James's questions until comprehension dawned in James's eyes.  "We didn't.  The wards prevent people from using a Portkey to enter or leave the grounds.  The Multi-Portkey doesn't even do that, it merely Ports one to a destination within Hogwarts."

The Headmaster was relieved, and then curious.  "What is a Multi-Portkey?"

James pulled a round object from his robes.  It was about three inches across and had a swivel arm.  "It's fairly simple.  Each click of the swivel arm realigns the key for a different destination."  He shrugged.  "It's a failure though.  With this, all the destinations have to be within two kilometers of each other, you can only have six destinations, and it costs twice as much as it would to simply create six different Portkeys.  The only reason we keep using it is the Cheshire Cat Grin effect."

James sighed as he put the key away again.  "Not our first failure, and it won't be the last."  He blushed and grinned at a memory suddenly.  "At least this one didn't cut the house in half."

Rose blushed as Tiffany started giggling.  Professor Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, but decided he was better off not knowing how the twins had managed to cut a house in half.  He thought about what James had said, and the report April had given him about the twins and their ability to adapt almost anything.

"Tell me, could you break the wards around Hogwarts if you wanted to?"

The trio got the familiar absent expressions that meant they were discussing things amongst them selves, and the headmaster waited for the verdict.

They came back to the headmaster's office from the link, and James was frowning thoughtfully, even as the light of a challenge grew in his eyes.  "We're not sure.  There are a thousand years of spells and wards on the school.  Would you like us to find out for you?"

Professor Dumbledore considered that for several minutes.  On one hand, knowing if the wards around the school could be circumvented might be a good thing, if they knew before the war started.

On the other hand, the idea of Manticore, and Chimera especially, being able to leave the grounds at will was not one that would allow the headmaster to sleep soundly.

James was watching him, and talking to Rose over the link.  "Sir, Chimera doesn't need to break the wards to leave the grounds, and if the wards can be broken, we have the whole list of Pendragon wards to draw on.  We can give you a better one."

Professor Dumbledore sat up a little straighter.  "How can you leave the grounds, without breaking the wards?"

"Easy.  The Starblades have Unplottable spells on them.  If we use the spells, even the Marauder's Map can't find us.  Tiffany and I tested it once, just to see if it could be done."  James looked at the Headmaster and shrugged.  "It's no big thing, I can't even conceive of an emergency so great that I would leave the grounds without telling you first."

James looked completely serious for a minute.  "Being a leader lays certain responsibilities on me, even as it frees me of some things.  One of those responsibilities is setting an example.  If I do not follow the chain of command here at school, how can I ask my people to follow it for me?"

Professor Dumbledore regarded James thoughtfully.  He had known James took the position seriously, but he had not known just how well James understood the bonds of leadership.  He made a decision, and summoned a book from the wall.

"I am going to trust this to Chimera."  He said, stressing the word Chimera.  "In here is every spell even laid on Hogwarts.  Go through, tell me what still works, and what you can do to make it better."

James took the book, ad bowed to the headmaster.  "Chimera will honor your trust." He said formally.

Chimera was listening on the link, and Lisa warned, _"Jerrick's going to be after that book as soon as he finds out about it."_

James's answer was instant, and backed with a great deal of heat.  _"The only way that he could find out about it, would be for one of you to forswear that oath I just gave, and the one that does that will not be a happy camper."_

Even Rose flinched away from that anger.  _"James, she's just being careful."_

_"Sorry Lisa,"_ James apologized, _"I have a healthy respect for my honor and the thought of being forsworn is annoying."_

 Chimera sniggered at the understatement, and allowed the trio to finish their meeting with the headmaster in peace.

The rest of the year passed quietly, and at the final dinner, Gryffindor was awarded the House Cup.  The next day, Manticore was back in America, and spending the day getting their gear and weapons.  They were eager to start training this year, as they would not be in the constant classes of last year.  This year, all the first year Manticores would be taking the classes, and the second year Manticores would be using a training idea called 'War Games'.


	19. Summer Training, second year

A/N: Not a lot to this chapter. A couple of people had expressed interest in more details about training, and I am giving them. There is only event this year (in this chapter at least), and it's the start of another plot bunnie, in the humour department, I'll tell you more about that after the story. For now, I have to give a few people thanks and stuff. My SO: Greeneyes, why do you put up with me? My Beta reader, Avisa: I'm so glad you're far away, because somehow, I think you'd beat me for what's about to happen to Manticore fourth year.

This chapter is dedicated to those two.

_Summer Training_

_Second year_

Manticore arrived at the summer training site by Portkey, just as they had a year ago. Alexander Evans took the first year Manticores off to talk to them, and the rest of the Manticores lined up to get their uniforms and supplies. The issue went much smoother than it had last year, and in short order all the teams were heading for their tents to put away their gear.

The second year Manticores were eager to begin the training. Instead of endless classes and drills, they would be using a training technique called 'war games'. The Wolfpack trainer assigned to a team would give that team a mission, and the team leader would plan, review and execute the mission.

That night, they got their first assignments. Mercy and Jerrick were going to use Phoenix to defend a site, like a field hospital that couldn't be moved. Griffon had drawn the OPFOR mission, and would be attacking them. The scenario was very simple for the first mission.

Phoenix had a supply base/hospital with wounded that could not be moved, while Griffon was the enemy force tasked with the destruction of the base. Mercy and the Mediwizards not in the tent with the 'wounded' were the base's defenders, while Jerrick used the other Phoenixes as a mobile strike force.

The next morning, after getting their mission, and the go ahead, Arthur Weasley sent a scout out to recon the site. Mounted on a broomstick, and covered with invisibility and silencing spells, Michael Weasley spent several very uncomfortable hours observing the camp with binoculars, noting tent locations, where the sentries were, how often they were relieved, how many total people the camp had and the landscape, or terrain around the camp. After he finished making a rough map of the area and the camp, he reported to Arthur.

Arthur had made a large table, called a sandtable while Michael was on the recon mission. The sandtable is a large table with a rim on it, and sand or dirt inside. After Michael gave Arthur the map and notes he'd collected, Arthur used those notes to make a three-dimensional model of the camp and the area around it. This allowed every member of the team to see the ground from above, and to see the approach route Arthur chose.

Given Mercy's known defensive abilities, Griffon was not surprised to find that there was not an easy way to attack the camp, and Arthur decided on a simple ruse. After the rest of the team was briefed on their role and what they'd be doing, the start time was chosen, and Arthur took Brian Crockford back into the tent and gave him a slightly different mission.

Griffon lifted off after Arthur and Michael checked all the weapons again. The weapons they were using were real. The ammunition however was not dangerous. It would not break the skin, even if you were hit directly on an eyeball. It would sting quite badly however, a feature that had most of the Manticores wincing in anticipation.

Alexander just grinned at them when asked why it had to be painful. "You're all big boys and girls. Figure it out."

When James was approached about it, he was typically blunt. "Because I don't want any of you thinking these things are painless. People expecting pain are more cautious than 'Fearless Fools', and I want every one of you to know that you need to learn to duck on a regular basis when the bullets are flying around." He rubbed his chest, smirking at the people listening to him. "Besides, Tiffany and I have tested them privately, and I can say that while they are quite painful, they will not interfere with …" James glanced at a blushing Tiffany, then continued. "any later plans you might have."

Griffon flew low, using the terrain to avoid detection from the camp until they reached the FRP or Final Rally Point. This was the point from which they would make their attack. Brian had broken off and taken a different route about twenty minutes earlier, and now they waited for his part of the mission to open the attack.

Brian had circled the camp, and was at a point that looked like a good place to attack the camp. He set up one of the three-dimensional image projectors that James and Tiffany had used so effectively when they were avoiding Manticore and triggered it. Brian was grinning as he set it up, remembering how annoyed James had been that Tiffany's name for it caught on. The thing was supposed to be called an "Evans Image Creator" but almost all of Manticore called it the do-hickey. After he had it set up and triggered, he settled into a position and opened the first attack.

Brian used a grenade launcher to liberally fill the camp with tear gas and smoke. At the same time, the do-hickey was projecting images of the rest of the team darting from one bit of cover to another, assaulting the camp. The attack drew Jerrick and the strike force to that side of the camp, which was Arthur's signal to begin their approach.

Inside the camp, the smoke was obscuring vision, but the tear gas was useless. At the first smell of the gas, the word was passed and everyone cast, or had the bubblehead charm cast on them. With everyone's attention on the attack though, Griffon managed to disable the first sentry with the "_Interclusio"_ spell.

At the camp's edge, Griffon ran into the first of Mercy's magically enhanced traps, and Franklin Finnigan triggered a mass of magic ropes that bound him and his Broomstick in place.

Griffon pressed on, but they had lost the element of surprise, and Jerrick sent half of his force back to help with this new attack.

Griffon 'destroyed' several tents and took out three more people before Mercy's second line of defense kicked in. Twenty magic balls rose into the air, and began attacking anyone not wearing a Phoenix signet ring. The balls were the size of Bludgers, but since this was training, they were soft. Anyone hit by one of them turned a vivid yellow, making them easy targets for the defenders.

Five minutes after Brian launched the first smoke grenade, the battle was over, and Griffon was defeated. The final tally was five Griffons captured or 'dead', four 'dead' Phoenix members, and nearly half of Phoenix's tents and supplies lost.

During the after action review, the Wolfpack trainers that had watched the entire scenario pointed out both good and bad points on both sides. Griffon had made good use of terrain in their approach, and the ruse that drew almost all the strike force out of place to meet the real attack was praised. After that however, they had stayed too close together, making a single target for the defenders, and allowing them to mass fires on the target. The trainers suggested breaking into two man elements, and separating, so that the defenders had fire at several points. That would decrease their fire ability, as the unlinked Phoenixes would have to be careful not to hit their own people. Griffon, being a linked team, would not have that problem.

The last mistake Griffon made was not assigning people to look after each other. If one Griffon had stopped and freed Franklin, they would have had one more person for the assault and might have been able to work more effectively.

Arthur was not happy with his first trial as Team leader, but the trainers thought differently. "Your mistakes were the result of inexperience, not incompetence. That's why we have training." One of them told him, and then it was Phoenix's turn to be analyzed.

The use of wards keyed to the Phoenix signet rings was praised, although the trainers said that they could have placed the outer ring of defenses further out, as it was not a killing trap, and wouldn't hurt any Muggle or innocent Wizard that happened to stumble over it.

Jerrick's reaction to the attack had been extreme. As the defenders, with pre set cover and active defenses in place, an attack by just six should not have required more than a third of the strike force, leaving the rest to deal with anything else that happened, such as the attack on the rear of the camp today.

After discussing each team's overall performance, the trainers began reviewing the actions of individual Manticores, and opened a general discussion of what each team needed to improve.

Across the valley, the teams not involved in today's war games were learning to co-ordinate the actions and responses of two or more linked teams using the rings. This meant everyone had to response to a general command at the same time, in the same way. Muggle militaries taught this with marching or Drill. The Wolfpack trainers were using the same idea, but they were incorporating the flight capabilities of the Broomsticks.

Those Manticores that didn't have their own broomsticks for whatever reason were lent a broomstick that had been traded in to the Starblade Co. on a new Starblade. The broomsticks were causing one of the biggest problems in the entire day.

Chimera's Starblades were outperforming everything of course, but after that, Broomstick performance varied widely depending on the age and quality of the broomsticks in question.

Chimera was taking a break while Sphinx and Hydra practiced some maneuvers, and from the ground, the ragged formations were clearly visible.

As Chimera watched the formations trying to straighten out, a burst of shock from Tiffany made them look at the Soulbonded couple. James and Tiffany were arguing about something, and as Chimera watched, James pressed his point, gesturing at the formations in the sky. Tiffany's initial shock was fading into an unwilling acceptance, and finally, she threw her hands up.

James caressed her cheek, and turned to Rose. He sent something down the twinlink, and it was Rose's turn to be appalled. She got over it faster, and pulled a parchment from her robes. She began writing something and making quick figures, as Emma couldn't contain herself anymore. _"Would you three like to fill the rest of us in on the surprise?"_

James was still watching the group in the sky as he answered absently. _"Our formations look like hell because of the different Broomsticks, and that could be bad later on during the War. I simply want to get all the Manticores Starblades."_

It took a second for that to sink in, but after it did, the rest of Chimera was every bit as shocked as Tiffany had been. Starblades were custom made for one user, and wouldn't even work for anyone else. They had more than a hundred wards, spells and charms on them, and it took five wizards a month of work to make just one Starblade.

They were also the most expensive Broomsticks made, costing an average of two thousand, two hundred Galleons each. Lisa was the first to get over the shock and speak. _"Are you talking about every Manticore, even the new ones?"_

James nodded, still watching the sky._ "Of course. It wouldn't do any good to get all our people Starblades, if their replacements didn't have them as well."_

Lisa was adding numbers in her head. _"Are you going to get them for the Wolfpack people that can use them as well?"_

James turned and looked at Lisa. _"I had not thought of that, but yes. Manticore wouldn't be half of what it is without Wolfpack."_

Lisa closed her eyes, running numbers and figures through her head, and when she was done, she looked at James again. _"You do realize you're talking about spending nearly one hundred and sixty thousand Galleons on this?"_

Except for Rose and James, the rest of Chimera froze, shocked into complete silence by the amount. James looked at Rose. "Would you ask Uncle Alexander if we could use his cell phone please?"

Rose walked over to where Alexander and Martin were watching the sky, where Dragon and Unicorn had taken Sphinx and Hydra's place. A short conversation later, Rose returned with a small phone and handed it to James, who dialed a number from memory.

Chimera avidly listened to James's side of the conversation. "Hello Mrs. Johnston. How are you today?" James listened for a minute, then: "It's good to hear that. Give your daughter our best, and then I need a favor. Can you patch me through to dad?"

There was a short pause, as James was being transferred to wherever his father was that morning. "Hello Father. Am I interrupting anything?" James grinned. "No, nothing is wrong, but a situation has arisen, and I need to borrow some money from Cumulus."

James's emotions spiked with humour suddenly. "Well, that depends on what Starblade is going to charge us for," James paused and consulted with Rose suddenly, then turned back to the phone. "Seventy-one Starblades, and a continuing order of five to ten more a year for a few years. Immediate delivery, or as soon as possible would be good."

James listened for a minute, and rolled his eyes. "I know you said something about this, and I have to admit, I didn't realize just how great the performance difference in Broomsticks is." James listened again, and broke out in a smile. "Great. That will help a lot. Now, how much does the Green Flower owe Cumulus?" It was James's turn to be shocked, but it faded quickly as he listened. "Payment to start on delivery?" Another pause as he listened again, and then, "Fair enough. We'll have the authorization for monthly withdrawals in Gringotts within three days."

He listened some more and started to roll his eyes again. He stopped in mid-roll, and grinned. In his best mock innocent tone, he said, "Me? Roll my eyes at you, Father? Would I do a thing like that?" He laughed, they discussed Manticore and the family for a few minutes, and then James hung up to find Chimera and Alexander staring at him.

He smiled as he addressed Rose. "Sister mine, would you drop a note to Gringotts tonight, authorizing the Cumulus Co. to withdraw nine hundred and sixteen Galleons and eight Sickles each month for the next twenty years?"

Rose raised an eyebrow at the amount, but was scribbling it down for later as the rest of Chimera stared at James in shock. Lisa was the first to work out the total. "We're paying two hundred and twenty thousand Galleons for the Starblades?" (A/N: Actually, it's 219,952.94 Galleons, but Lisa rounded off. Raven)

James shrugged. "After the extra charges for rush delivery, and jumping the line, and the interest dad is charging, yes."

Adam blinked. "Your father is charging you interest on the loan?"

James and Rose both looked blank. "Why wouldn't he? Business is business after all."

Tiffany giggled at the rest of Chimera. "Haven't you figured out yet that capital 'B' Business is the driving force of the Evans Clan?"

Most of Chimera was shaking their heads as they thought about the whole thing. Adam was running through the conversation in his head again, and he looked at James. "What did you mean, when you said that will help?"

James thought back, and then smiled. "Father started ordering Starblades as soon as he got the first Manticore measurements, and with a bit of rush, we'll have all the Broomsticks in time to give them out at the family week, when we tell all the families about Manticore."

Hangeld spoke mildly. "I hope you're not so cynical that you think the families can be bought with a fancy Broomstick."

James stared into space while he thought about it. "Some will be, but I was thinking more of them as proof of our commitment to the Prophecy."

Lisa was thinking about all the uniforms, equipment, personnel and training that the Evans clan had provided so far. "Just how much have you spent on this thing so far?"

James looked at Rose, who kept the books for the Green Flower Co. She thought about it for a minute and shrugged. "I'm not sure. A lot of the stuff was paid for by Cumulus, and sent to us free. At least four hundred thousand Galleons or so, counting the Starblades."

Adam converted that into the Pounds he was familiar with and froze, with his eyes open wide. "You've spent five point two million Pounds on this so far?"

James looked at him as he figured the Dollar rate out. "It's only money. Four hundred thousand Galleons, five point two million pounds, or six point four million dollars, it's still all just money."

He mounted his broomstick, and hovered a few feet off the ground as Chimera made ready to take to the air again. He looked at them, and he was completely serious. "If a Starblade saves a single Manticore during the War, it will be worth every penny, Knut or pence, however you look at it."

Chimera mounted, and joined James, Unicorn and Dragon for more practice.

That first day set the pattern for the rest of the summer. Some teams would practice formations, and making the teams act as one group, while the others would be attacking or defending a camp. As Mercy and Jerrick perfected their defenses, two, three and even four teams were tasked to attack the camp.

The most eagerly awaited matches pitted Adam against Mercy on the strategy, and James and Jerrick on tactics. Mercy and Adam were strategic geniuses, and James and Jerrick were so closely matched that the outcome was always in doubt until the last minute.

Alexander decided to suspend formation flying on those days, saying the other Manticores would learn more watching those four than they could possibly learn flying in circles.

The Manticores that had joined in the second year of the Eight were going through the basic training that the First called Manticores had gone through the year before. Since there were only six of them, Martin was leading that training with just one other Wolfpack member. Two more of them oversaw the flying practice, and the rest observed the war games from every angle, making notes for the AAR after it was over.

About half way into the summer, Alexander changed the scenario, and Phoenix had to defend a moving convoy, while the other teams had to attack it. Raids, ambushes and counterattacks became routine to all of them, and after they had done that for a couple of weeks, Alexander changed it again.

Now, whichever team had the BLUFOR slot that day wouldn't learn about the mission until the day of the mission. Mercy and Jerrick wouldn't learn the OPFOR's mission until then either, making them all rush to get the mission accomplished. This led to a few mistakes, but they soon figured out how to plan a mission in a hurry, and the tempo of the operations was increased again. (A/N: BLUFOR is an acronym for Blue forces, or the good guys, and OPFOR is Opposing force, or the bad guys. It's American Military slang, simply because my own personal 'Uncle Alexander' spent 30 years in the service, and I'm using his knowledge to do the military scenes. Raven)

As all the teams got better, the scenarios got harder, with a team or two joining Phoenix in defending, or there being no intelligence about the target, except what you could get a scout close enough to see.

James and Adam spent many nights working out basic plans for the eight most common scenarios they ran into, so that they had a base plan set as soon as they knew what the mission was. A few attempts to use those plans showed them the flaws, and they spent even more time refining the plans, until they had a working manual.

Emily was the first person to figure out they had a plan book, and she asked to borrow it one day. James was smiling at her, as she walked away, already on page two. "How much do you want to bet that she's already read everything else in camp, and just needed a book fix?"

Chimera smiled at the good-natured teasing of the girl that had once walked off a moving staircase at Hogwarts because she had her nose in a book. The consensus around Hogwarts was that if Emily died while reading a book, her ghost would refuse to move on until she finished the book.

The last mission of the year was the result of James bragging about Chimera's performance. Alexander heard him, and said, "Since Chimera is so good, in three days, you'll face off against everyone else, attacking a moving convoy."

The other seven members of Chimera promptly dragged James to a nearby stream and threw him in.

After he dried off, James went looking for Adam, and they spent an hour talking to him. When they came out, James was filled with the same sense of anticipatory glee that he had when he was waiting for a good prank to be triggered. The next day, Alexander gave Mercy and Jerrick their briefing. Where they would start, where they were going, the supplies they were carrying and the timeline they had to work with.

Unknown to any of the four there, James had used Tiffany's Invisibility Cloak to plant Lisa's Magicrystal the night before, and Adam was listening to every word. Tiffany had protested that this was cheating, and James had asked her if she'd plant the Magicrystal in the Patient Child's headquarters if she could. When Tiffany had to admit she would, James said it was the same thing. Tiffany looked dubious, but was soon plotting the destruction of the rest of Manticore with Chimera. Adam was aware that everyone in camp knew about and had read the battle plan book James and he had worked out.

He decided to ignore the book this time, and he and James spent hours working out new plans that were different from anything they'd done before. That night James sent a raccoon into the tent to retrieve the Magicrystal and place it in the sandtable tent where Mercy and Jerrick would make their final plans and brief Phoenix.

The next day, James and Adam took turns listening to Phoenix. As Mercy and Jerrick made plans, James and Adam made counter plans. That night after everyone was in bed, Chimera lifted off, heading for the area and routes Phoenix had chosen. The entire group went because nearly two thirds of the route Mercy and Jerrick had chosen were outside the limits Chimera could stretch their link without pain. James and Adam filled them in on the entire plan while they flew.

Emma thought it was going to be fun, but Hangeld wasn't as optimistic. "_This is almost_ _completely opposite anything we've ever done_."

Adam sent a mental smirk down the link. "_I know. We're been training in the tactics everyone is going to use so that we'll be able to work with them if we have to, but these tactics take full advantage of the Chimera link and the various talents we all have_."

"_We haven't used these tactics yet, because Adam and I had decided to wait until we had a firm grasp of the tactics everyone is going to use._" James's smirk matched Adam's, and he was filled with anticipation.

Hangeld was still dubious. "_We're facing all of Manticore tomorrow, isn't this a bad time to be trying out new tactics_?"

The next thing James said had them all rolling their eyes. "_Calculated Risk. Even if we lose, this is only training, and losing here is better than losing in real combat._" He started to slow and descend as they reached the first point on their agenda tonight. "_Besides, even if we lose, the chaos we cause will be worth it."_

Chimera broke into three groups, and was done laying their traps with Adam's guidance by midnight. They returned to the camp to get some sleep before the mission.

A/N: Tomorrow should be fun for somebody. Either Phoenix is going to wipe the ground with Chimera, and have the bragging rights for the next year, or Chimera is going to show Manticore just why these eight were chosen to lead the war against the Patient Child. ~Grin~ I know who I'm betting on.

And Now, I have some words for the readers.

Jenny: Yes I do have almost 6 years now, on real paper. My way is to write the first draft on paper, and then transfer it to the computer, making the first of any changes. After that, I print that copy, and read it, making any more changes that need to be done. Then the corrections are made in the computer, and another chapter is ready for upload. The problem is reality. Between 28 credits in College, a job and a SO, I just don't have as much time as I want to write. I do promise to update as often as I can though, and on the bright side, my chapters are long enough that you know you have something to read when I do update.

Requiem to a Dream Thank you for all your kind words... and anytime you want to recommend anything I write, you go right ahead. :-) PS. Cliffie? Me? Oh no, you must be mistaken, (Best Rose innocent look) I would never leave you dangling. :P

Holly: Large chapters? Me? Um, yes. See, I like to read, (when I have the time) and I have this problem. I can read a book the size of Stephen King's uncut version of The Stand in just about eight hours. (For those of you that have not read it, I highly recommend it, but be warned it is 1147 pages long, and the type is not large.) Anyway, I tend to write things that take me at least a few minutes to read, without really thinking about how long it's going to take somebody else to read the same thing.

~Looking over the reviews~ There is something about threes... I put the Beta read version of this story on ~cough~fictionalley.org~cough~ and I have a trio of faithful reviewers there as well.

Cool enough, said as long as one person wanted to hear the whole thing, I'd keep writing, so if y'all will pardon me, I have to get Chapter 20 ready to upload. Bye-bye.

Raven


	20. The Final Mission

_A/N:_ _James's mouth has now pitted Chimera against Manticore. Eight people vs. fifty-two. This should be interesting... but they'd better enjoy it, because in the next chapter, they face an enemy so terrible that I don't even have a name for them yet._

**__**

**_The final mission_**

**_Chapter 20_**

The next morning, Phoenix made their final preparations and left for their start point. Chimera had to give them an hour to reach their start point, pick up the 'cargo' and get started.

James and Tiffany were indulging in the rapport when Alexander stopped by. He looked at James and Tiffany; in the pleasurable loop they could enter nearly at will by now, and the rest of Chimera napping. After their late night, they were very happy to get another hour of sleep, since the mission today promised to be a long one.

Alexander evaluated the relaxed Chimeras and sighed. "What are you up to now James?"

James opened one eye, from within the rapport and regarded Alexander and behind him, Martin, who was walking up. Tiffany never missed a stroke as James replied. "What makes you think we're up to something, Sir?"

Alexander regarded James sourly. "A: I've known you for almost thirteen years, and the only time you are this calm is when you think you have the upper hand. B: I watched every mission you ran this year, and at this point, you're always running over the mission plans with Adam. C: I am told that you didn't even bother watching Phoenix leave, as if you already knew where they were going."

James put on his best innocent look. "Maybe we're just thinking of the summer being over."

Alexander, also known as Uncle Alexander Evans had been watching the twins perfect their innocent look for more than a decade, and it didn't fool him for an instant. "Bullpuckey, to be polite."

Martin regarded James thoughtfully. "Alexander," he said, "maybe it has something to do with the fact that James was using the Totem skills last night."

James grinned. "Now, how can you know if that was me?"

Martin frowned at James and spoke in short broken sentences, like you might use to a not too bright child. "Two Shamans. One camp. Wasn't me. Had to be you."

Alexander, with his knowledge of the twins, recognized the instantly suppressed anger Martin's patronizing tone and sarcasm woke in James. James responded with the same patronizing tone. "I realize you're been one the Borders a lot, but you might have heard about my Soulbond somewhere?"

Martin flushed as James's tone registered. "Yes, and?" he said without thinking.

James smirked as his trap closed, and he used the same short sentences Martin had used on him. "Two people. One Soulbond. Tiffany knows everything I do. Could have been her."

Martin flushed darker and then blinked. He regarded James and Tiffany, and spoke in a neutral tone. "You do remember that telling any woman the Shaman secrets is forbidden, and that doing so can get your Shaman powers stripped from you?"

James nodded. "I owled Rolling Thunder about that, and the Council has decided that since I didn't actually tell her, and I had no way to stop what was happening, they would make an exception for Tiffany."

Martin nodded as he followed the logic, and looked at Tiffany with a new respect. "So you know all the Shaman skills James does?"

Tiffany trade places with James, settling in front of him, and letting James start his slow rhythmic brushing before she answered Martin. She reached under her robes and 'drew' the same sort of raw magic weapon James had shown the Professors at Hogwarts. "Would you care to dance the circle, and test my skill?" she invited Martin.

Martin stared at her weapon, noting the steady glow, and clear definition of it. He could see the inscription on the handle, but he couldn't read it at this range. "I don't think that's necessary," he said, "although I've never seen anyone use a spoon as a weapon before."

James smiled wryly. "Just be glad you can't hear some of the thoughts she's had with that thing."

Martin's eyebrows went up as he thought about it. "I can imagine. Thanks, I'll keep my knife, thank you."

James stretched and got up. The next thing he said was over the Chimera link. "_Time to go people. Everyone up." _The rest of Chimera got up and began stretching sleep-logged muscles as they listened to James. "Remember the plan, and make sure you know your part if we move to an alternate plan."

As James and Chimera got ready to mount their broomsticks, the whole team meshed, in the close technique James and Rose had perfected for Quidditch and taught to the rest of Chimera. While they were this close, James led with Rose advising after looking a few seconds or minutes ahead with her Sight. The meshed link was suffused with James's eagerness and all of Chimera began mirroring the fierce, and yet focused look on James's face.

"What's the final Law of Combat?" He asked as Eight Chimeras mounted their Broomsticks simultaneously, and seven voices spoke as one. "We're not here to die for our cause, but to make the enemy die for his."

Eight Broomsticks lifted away, and with the perfect synchronization that only comes with a link, two four person diamonds swept through the sky, heading for Chimera's first ambush site.

Martin and Alexander stared after them for a minute, and then looked at each other. "Did you see the way they looked?"

Martin looked after the rapidly disappearing group. "They looked like a group of weasels in a cage full of blind chickens."

Alexander frowned at the vivid description, but had to admit it was accurate.

Chimera got to their first ambush site and set up with the speed of long practice. Once they were ready, James reached out with the Totem skills and found a hawk flying high overhead. Using the hawk's eyes, he found Phoenix and tracked their course. "_They're still on Mercy's alpha route. Dragon and Griffon are running point, Pegasus is the right flank, Unicorn is left, and Sphinx and Hydra are in the tail gunner's slots."_

He checked the ambush site. The hawk could plainly see the Chimeras from his vantage point, and James sent him back for one last look at Phoenix, and then released the hawk with his thanks. "_We've got about ten minutes before they get in range. Remember that we only want one team here._"

Mercy had noted the circling hawk, and its unusual behavior. She thought about it for a few seconds and then she used the ring. "Griffon one, Dragon one, leapfrog ahead for the next fifteen minutes."

"Roger that Phoenix one." Dragon moved ahead as Griffon dropped into covered position. When Dragon had reached the limits of Griffon's covering fire, they settled down into covered positions of their own, and Griffon moved ahead to the limits of Dragon's protection. Moving like this slowed the convoy down, but it provided maximum coverage and protection for the group.

Jerrick had heard the order, and noted the slowing, and he flew up next to Mercy. "Is something wrong?"

Mercy pointed at the hawk. "It's nothing most likely, but that hawk circled us, then an area ahead of us, and then us again."

Jerrick frowned, and then comprehension cleared the frown. "You think James is using the Shaman skills to watch us."

Mercy nodded, watching the route in front of them. "That Yank is just sneaky enough to use the wildlife to watch us."

Jerrick grinned wryly. "James would pirate a satellite if he could."

Mercy, who'd grown up in a Muggle born wizard's home, understood the reference. She grinned at Jerrick. "I hope he doesn't have a laptop to do it with out here, or we're in bigger trouble than I think we are."

Dragon was moving forward when their point man held up a hand, freezing the convoy in place, as the hand sign was passed down the line. The Dragon team leader, Debra Valentine, moved up carefully, and settled down next to Terry Boot jr., who was the point man currently. "_What have you got Terry?_"

Terry was keeping his eyes forward, watching an area ahead of them, and slightly to the convoy's right side. "_Look ahead, about seventy meters forward, and at the two o'clock position_."

Debra looked at the area he specified, and was about to ask what she was looking for, when something moved, and she saw Hangeld's back. He was facing away from her, and covering the route that was the most protected way to pass this area. Most people would have taken that path, as it offered speed and cover for the convoy. Mercy though, was not most people, and she had decided to take the second best route, in hopes of fooling Adam and James, and avoiding contact for as long as possible.

Debra's eyes narrowed and she started the slow side-to-side sweep that was the best way to scan an area. Knowing how Chimera set up ambushes, and where the first one was, it didn't take her long to find the rest of Chimera.

Chimera had set a basic ambush up, with six of them about five meters apart, to pour maximum fire on to an area, and the last two members about twenty meters out, to watch for danger from either side. Mercy's course however, had brought the convoy up behind Chimera. Debra thought about it for a minute, and grinned as she sent the situation down the Dragon link. "_Anybody feel like Chimera hunting today?_"

Five mental smirks came back to her. "_It's always a good day for that_." one of her Dragons said. Debra quickly evaluated the situation, and called a SITREP (Situation Report.) back to the other point team, Griffon.

After informing Arthur Weasley what she was going to do, she gathered her team, and they cast the invisibility spells that every Manticore learned in the first year. Dragon slowly and carefully moved forward and settled into their own ambush site. "_Terry, you shoot James, and don't stop until he's down. Zach, you do the same thing with Adam_." Debra was hoping that even if they didn't 'kill' all of Chimera on the spot, they could at least deprive them of their strategic and tactical leaders. She finished detailing who would shoot at who, and what their secondary targets were, and then settled behind her own weapon.

She checked and when everyone sent back a ready response down the link, she gave the order to fire. Six M-4 Carbines went off as one, and Debra's plan went off perfectly. Had Chimera actually been there, they would have been liberally sprayed with the magically enhanced wax pellets that Manticore used.

The small bullets were spelled not to break the skin, even if you had the bad luck to be hit directly in the eye, but they were as painful as a bee sting and left a welt for several hours. Dragon had cause to regret that, as Chimera opened up on them from the side.

Chimera had set illusions in mostly hidden positions, and set an ambush up that was at a ninety-degree angle to the half concealed illusions. They were covered by their own invisibility charms, and they had seen the convoy coming and watched them stop, and Dragon start moving. When Dragon had covered themselves with the invisibility charms, Chimera had used a Muggle item used by search and rescue teams in the mountains. The item could detect body heat, and Chimera used it to track the Dragon team until their fire gave them away.

As Dragon opened fire, Chimera used that as their signal to open fire, and they continued shooting until the Dragon team members appeared and set down their weapons. The rules of the war games were simple. If a pellet hit you, you had to remove all magic covering you, and sit down until the mission was over, or somebody checked on you, and 'Port-keyed' you back to base.

In less than a minute, Dragon was wiped out.

Chimera moved up, and Dragon watched silently as Chimera set up nearly a dozen of the training Claymore mines that around the 'dead' bodies of Dragon. Since Dragon was dead, they weren't allowed to say anything, and Chimera disappeared without a word.

"_Griffon is going to get slaughtered when they fly in here_." Jack McKinnon sent down the link.

"_I know,_" said Debra, "_but there is nothing we can do, unless you want to break the Rules of Engagement._"

Jack sent a picture of a donkey down the link. "_Do I look that stupid? I saw what happened to Lily_."

Wolfpack took the Rules of Engagement, or ROE that governed the war games very seriously. Lily Higgs, of the Unicorn team had tried to warn her sister after being 'shot' and 'killed', and been caught at it.

Alexander had pulled everyone, including the first year trainees into a group, and given a lecture about Honor, Trust and Discipline that had lasted nearly three hours, using Lily as an example. After he finished the lecture Alexander had taken her weapon and her wand.

"If I cannot trust your word or sense of self-discipline, I will not allow you to carry things that could hurt people. For the next week, you will have to depend on other people to do everything for you, from defending you, to anything you normally do with Magic. Maybe when you understand Trust from the inside, you will be a person that we can trust to do things with us."

Alexander had held to his word, making her team take her everywhere they went, even on missions, and at the end of the week, Lily was judged rehabilitated, and given her weapon and wand back. That was still the only time anyone had broken the ROE.

Debra stopped remembering the incident as her ring pulsed with an incoming call. "Dragon one, status report."

Debra grimaced as she listened to the call be repeated twice. Mercy would figure out what had happened soon enough. Debra sighed as the call she was dreading came over the ring.

Mercy's voice was tinged with worry, even over the rings. "Griffon one, Dragon team is out of the net. Check status and report."

Arthur Weasley's voice answered, "Roger that Phoenix one."

Debra watched the first three-man element of Griffon come into sight. They saw Dragon, and held up the element long enough to look for Chimera, and then the second element leapfrogged past them.

Michael Weasley led the second element, and he stopped his element short of Dragon. He took his time looking around, and sent back a report to Arthur. Using the link, he told his older brother that Dragon team was out of the game.

Arthur swore, and asked how they'd been lost.

"_I don't know. I have not approached. I'm not sure why, but something is telling me there's something wrong here._" Michael wasn't sure what is was, but something about this whole thing just didn't look right.

"_What's wrong, Michael? Is Chimera still there somewhere?_"

Michael realized that was what was wrong. Over the summer, different group personalities had emerged, and Chimera never retreated when they had the upper hand. He explained his reasoning to Griffon one, and waited while Arthur used the rings to report back to Mercy.

Arthur came back, and sent down the link. "_Mercy says send one man forward to check Dragon, but on the ground, no broomstick or Magic use at all_."

Michael acknowledged the order, and motioned one man forward. When Franklin Finnigan came forward, Michael explained what he had to do, and took his Broomstick.

Franklin moved forward, using every bit of cover he could find, and that was why the first few claymores didn't hit him. They had been aimed at the sky, intended to take down anyone on a Broomstick, since they had the best chance of getting away if they were warned.

Franklin started sprinting back the way he'd come, but it was far too late. As Michael watched helplessly, pellets from at least two different claymores hit Franklin. Michael was the one swearing now, as he reported to Arthur. "_Arthur, Franklin is KIA_" (Killed in action. Raven) Arthur was silent for a minute, and then asked if he could be retrieved.

Michael looked forward, and weighed the chances of James having placed two rows of traps against the ingrained rule of never leaving anyone behind. Dead or alive, you simply didn't leave any of your own behind. Michael estimated distances quickly. Franklin was at least seventy meters away, and Dragon was thirty meters past that. "_I think I can get close enough to 'Winguardium Levosa' a Port-Key on his body_."

Arthur considered it, and agreed. "_Just close enough to get the key on him, we're already down one effective, I can't afford to lose you also._"

Michael began using the route Franklin had used, on the theory that any traps on that route would have been tripped the first time. About twenty meters from Franklin, he stopped and pulled one of the small wooden disks they used as Port-keys. The real Port-key would be activated by the person putting it on a dead or injured Manticore, and then placed on the body. It would send the body to a pre-arraigned site, where Phoenix or the team's Mediwizard would be waiting. With the ones they used in training, they simply allowed the person to gather their things and fly back to camp, or to follow along if the camp was out of link range.

Michael used his wand to levitate the key onto Franklin, and was surprised at how easy it was. He'd never tried to test the range of a 'Winguardium Levosa' spell before, and on an impulse, he sent another key towards Dragon. He dropped the key on the Dragon furthest from him, to be sure he could get them all, and in a short time, Dragon was following Franklin back to today's KIA rally point, where you went if you 'died'.

He reported what he'd done back to Arthur.

"_While it's good to know we can use the keys at that range, I would prefer that you not take chances like that, Michael. After all, if I go down, you're in charge,_" said Arthur, and Michael was quick to deny that. "_If not you, then who, Michael_?"

Remembering his thoughts on the same topic some time ago, Michael winced and remained silent.

Mercy decided to avoid the entire area, and swung the convoy out wide in a boxing pattern, that was the easiest way to get back on their original course. This was a simple matter of making a single ninety-degree turn, and moving a set distance. At the end of the distance, you turned ninety degrees again, so that you were moving parallel to the original course, and moved as far as you thought you had to go to avoid the danger, as which point you simply turned ninety degrees again, in the direction of your first course heading. When you had gone the same distance as you had on the first turn, you turned again, making a box shape, and continued along your first course.

Phoenix continued along their course, with Griffon still on point, but using a new point team technique. One Griffon was out in front at least two hundred meters, and there was another Griffon on each side, out one hundred meters from the course. The three of them made a huge triangle, and would hopefully see any ambush before the main body of the convoy was caught up in it. It was slower, and more dangerous for the point team, but everyone knew that point was the most dangerous job, and somebody had to do it.

After the loss of one entire team, and the trap that took out Franklin, nerves were getting tight, and it was not surprising that five or six people fired when three giant figures rose up out of the woods and started running at the convoy.

It was Jerrick's eye for details that quickly noted that the figures were running through the trees, but not damaging them. "Cease fire," he called over the rings, and the Phoenix and Unicorn teams stopped firing. An instant later, the three figures started a bizarre ritual that an older Muggle born student recognized as a Three Stooges routine.

Mercy stared at the illusions, and sighed. "That has got to be the Yank's work. Adam would have used something from one of his westerns to scare us."

While they were halted, Mercy was examining the map. "Jerrick, look here. Here, and here are the best places to ambush us again. What if we simply dumped stealth, and swung wide out here to use speed to try and carry us through?"

Jerrick looked at the new route she was proposing, and estimated the amount of cover they would have. "If Chimera catches us out there, they can do a lot of damage." He warned her.

Mercy grinned impishly. "Calculated Risk. Adam and James have thrown their book out the window on this mission, and we need to do the same."

She thought for a minute, and then groaned as a thought hit her. "Jerrick, how much do you want to bet they're using Rose's Sight today?"

Jerrick considered the actions of Chimera over the summer, and the way they were acting today. "Not a Knut. They're using her Sight, or James has hijacked a satellite to watch us with."

Mercy giggled at Jerrick's sour tone. "I don't think the Yank would go that far."

Jerrick looked at Mercy, suddenly serious. "I know James is your friend, but have you ever thought about the things he has done?"

Mercy frowned, and then realized what Jerrick was talking about. She grinned at him again, as she gave the point team the go ahead to start moving again. "No, silly, I meant he didn't have a laptop out here to hijack it with."

It was Mercy's turn to be serious as she tried to figure out how to beat the advantage Foresight gave Chimera. Mercy and Jerrick were flying in the middle of the formation and close together as they tried to insure their cargo would go through.

"The problem is," said Jerrick thoughtfully, "That whatever we decide to do, Rose knows instantly, or before we make it sometimes."

Mercy nodded, and made her decision. "This is what we're going to do. I'll lay in the course for say, 3 klicks and when we get there, I'll decide on a new course. That will give them a shorter time to prepare for us." She shrugged. "Short of killing Rose, I don't know of any way to prevent her from seeing what we're doing, so all we can do is be wary and prepared to take out Chimera when we see them."

Jerrick raised an eyebrow at her phrasing. "We?" he questioned. "Are you going to help?"

Mercy looked around, making sure no one else was in earshot. When she was certain nobody but Jerrick could hear her, she turned back to him, and her eyes were bleak. "I can't. This is only training, and I know nobody gets hurt. I could do it, the ideas are there, just like the defensive plans I do use." She looked away from Jerrick, staring at nothing. "There's a part of me though, that exults every time we 'kill' an enemy, and keeping that part down is a constant battle."

Jerrick heard the unsaid portion of that statement that Mercy was afraid of becoming like her father. "We all enjoy winning," he said.

His co-leader looked at him strangely. "Who said anything about winning? That part of me enjoys the killing, not the winning, but the thought of the death."

Jerrick watched Mercy compassionately. "Have you talked to anyone about this?"

"Who? The other Mediwizards work for me, and you know about the whole Chain of Command thing."

Jerrick did know about the Chain of Command, every Manticore leader had heard chapter and verse on the subject. Jerrick remembered the first lecture that Alexander Evans had given on it.

"A good leader doesn't show pain or fear to their troops except under extreme circumstances. The good leader doesn't allow any of their troops to be better than them at anything, unless that troop is extraordinarily talented, and then, only in the area of that talent." Alexander had paused and looked at the Team leaders. "If somebody in your team is better than you at everything, or even most things, you need to consider giving them command. Most important, you never let the troops see weakness. You can make a mistake, but never the same one twice. If you're uncertain about something, or have a problem you cannot solve, you always take it higher up the Chain of Command, never lower."

Jerrick shook off the memory and thought about who was above them in the Chain. "What about Melissa? She's higher than you."

Mercy shook her head. "Anything Melissa knows, James will find out, and I'd rather not give him more ammunition to get me to use that talent."

Jerrick grinned. "James is still after you? You've been telling him no for two years now."

Mercy rolled her eyes, in what Manticore was beginning to call the "James syndrome" and laughed. "You know our fearless leader. He's stubborn, obstinate, obsessed and has a one track mind besides."

Jerrick laughed, agreeing totally with Mercy. "And those are his good points."

The two Phoenix leaders shared a grin at James's expense, and then Jerrick had a thought. "What about April Erskine? As a liaison, she's outside the Chain, and she won't tell James anything he doesn't need to know."

Mercy considered the idea, and nodded slowly. "She would work. I'll talk to her when we get back to Hogwarts."

Mercy brought her mind back to their current problem as they neared the end of the first route she'd given them. Pulling out the map, she located their current position, and traced a route out for Jerrick. Jerrick flew up to talk to the point team, and the convoy moved out les than five minutes later.

With the spread of troops, and the care everyone was using looking for Chimera, the convoy should have been reasonably safe. Under any normal circumstance, the formation would be as safe as any, and safer than most.

James and Chimera were not playing by any normal rules today though. Using Rose's Sight to find Phoenix, Adam's strategy and an idea James remembered from an old Muggle war movie, Chimera carried out the first Broomstick bombing run.

Muggle grenades worked with a time fuse, and would explode 3-5 seconds after the pin was pulled. The grenades Chimera was using had proximity fuses, and Chimera dropped forty of them from two hundred feet above Phoenix.

As the grenades fell, the fuses armed, and when they came within a certain distance of a target, they would explode. Since the Mediwizards and other Phoenix people were clustered together hauling the cargo in bags designed to be carried by Broomsticks, they were the hardest hit.

By the time Mercy and Jerrick restored order and figured out what had happened, Chimera was long gone, leaving more casualties in their wake. All of the Phoenix Mediwizards were gone, as were two people from each team that had flanking duty.

By the time the 'dead' had been Portkeyed and the cargo redistributed, Tempers were beginning to flare, and the team leaders had to keep close tabs on their teams. Chimera had already decimated one entire team, all the Mediwizards except Mercy, two each of Unicorn and Pegasus and a single Griffon. In return, nobody still alive had seen even one Chimera.

Just past the point Mercy had chosen for the new route, Phoenix held up, while Mercy and Jerrick worked out the new route. When they were done, Griffon moved to tail guard, and the flanks switched sides as Sphinx took over point.

It was Griffon again, that sent the alarm over the rings, as Emma and Hangeld came flying as fast as their Starblades would go, right up the middle of the formation. Several people shot at them, from both sides of the formation and it's not really surprising that Robert House, a 7th year Hufflepuff in Unicorn was hit by friendly fire.

Conor McCloud, the Pegasus team leader was sending the cease-fire over his team's link when it happened, and he groaned. Less than a minute later, his ring pulsed with an incoming call. "Pegasus One" he said, answering the ring.

"I suggest," said an angry James, "that you have a long talk with Mario. He just killed one of our own from stupidity. You had better make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Yes, Sir." Said Conor, and if looks could kill, Mario would have died on the spot. Robert was the last Convoy person lost to that tactic, but James and Adam were ready with a new tactic, and in short order, Hangeld's uncanny accuracy as a sniper had taken out Sonya Gebbs, Zachary Moore and Conor McCloud, depriving all three teams of their primary team leaders.

Mercy found a large clearing, and they settled Phoenix into a tight perimeter with interlocking fires, and Wizards on broomsticks covering them from above. The remaining team leaders met to try and figure out what to do about this new tactic.

They had been talking about ten minutes when Jerrick's sharp eyes spotted something amiss in the tall meadow grass. "You are one sneaky son-of-a-bitch James."

When the other team leaders turned and stared at him, he pointed at the long tailed mouse calmly watching them. The mouse seemed to wink at them, and then it turned and ran away suddenly.

Mercy closed her eyes and sighed. "Do we really need James?" she asked plaintively.

Jerrick smiled sourly as he scanned the grass for more unusual wildlife. "Yes, unfortunately we do. You know that whole Prophecy thing. We need all eight of them for awhile longer at least."

"Seven, actually." Mercy muttered. The other team leaders hid smiles at the quiet comment.

They talked about it, and tried to figure out what they could do to overcome the advantages Chimera had and in the end, Jerrick summed it up in one sentence. "How are we supposed to overcome the people chosen by Prophecy to beat the greatest dark Wizard yet?"

Chimera had enough skills to win against the Patient Child, and Manticore simply couldn't figure out hoe to overcome all of those skills.

"Which is actually a good thing to know," said Mercy. "If we can't do, knowing Chimera like we do, then we can assume that nobody else can either."

"That's all well and good for the war," said Ron Stone wryly, "but it doesn't help us here and now. I do have an idea though. Since we can't win allowing them to hunt us, what if we hunted them?"

Ron wanted to send one person and illusions of the rest of the convoy one direction, with a team flying high cover. When Chimera attacked, the covering team would send a message back over the rings, and then keep Chimera busy long enough for Phoenix and the remaining team to get a good head start.

"You realize Chimera will figure it out quickly, if they even fall for it," said Jerrick. Since nobody could think of anything better, they set the illusions, and one of Jerrick's people lifted off with Griffon flying high above him covered in invisibility and silencing spells.

Barely a kilometer from the start point, Hangeld sniped the Phoenix member, and Griffon sent the call as they flanked around the place the shots had come from.

Mercy and Jerrick had the convoy ready, and they lifted off, running flat out for their destination, trading stealth for speed. They had covered about seven kilometers when Arthur Weasley called in. "There are only two Chimeras here, I say again, two Chimeras."

The same thought went through Mercy and Jerrick's mind; Where was the rest of Chimera?

Hangeld and Emma were the sniper team for Chimera. Armed with a big gun and with Emma to watch his back while he concentrated on his target, Hangeld had both the patience and the eye to wait for his best chance shot. Normally, after taking the shot, they left the area. This time James had given them an additional task, and they were supposed to tie up and eliminate the following team that Rose had seen.

After Hangeld took the shot, and the Phoenix had gone down, Hangeld and Emma had moved just 30 meters, into a position that gave them good cover. Emma was already scanning the sky with the heat-detecting device, and she soon found the team flying in. She studied the team and its formation carefully.

"It's got to be Griffon. Only five people, and they aren't cautious enough to be Sphinx."

Over the summer, each of the teams had begun to show group personalities, and using that information was one of the lessons they'd learned that year. It was more than they'd know about the Patient Child's forces at first, but any surviving groups would do the same thing. Hangeld interrupted Emma's thoughts. "_Can you tell which one is Arthur?"_

Emma checked the scanner. _"I have two teams of two, thirty meters apart, and a single person slightly behind them and between them."_

_"Mesh with me, and we'll take the single person out first." _Hangeld opened the last of his shields, and they meshed with the ease of long practice.

Once they were in the mesh, Emma began tracking their target. _"Dropping lower, coming down at our one o'clock, passing into the trees now. Reference point two, he's left of it about two meters."_

Muggles had long since figured out ways to fight even when you couldn't see your target. One of the night fighting techniques they used were Target Reference Points, or TRPs. You chose a point you could see at night or in low visibility, and used it to track your target.

Hangeld shifted his point of aim slightly to the left of the large oak tree that was TRP 2, and flipped the safety off on his weapon.

"Still on course, two meters left and three meters forward."

Hangeld adjusted his aim slightly, and squeezed the trigger. He used a technique called searching fire. Since he didn't know where his target was, he used the burst setting, where every trigger pull sent three rounds down range, and shifted his point of aim slightly between each shot.

"We have a hit," said Emma after the fourth burst, and Hangeld finished triggering the fifth burst and flipped the safety on. Grabbing their broomsticks and activating the booby-traps they had set earlier, they pulled back to the next preset position.

Behind them, Michael was swearing. With Arthur gone he was in charge, and he didn't want the job. _"I'm going to hex you later for choosing me for this." _He told his brother as they 'ported' him away.

Arthur grinned at the younger boy. _"Actually, I didn't pick you, you did."_

Michael was startled enough to speak aloud. "Bloody hell I did," he swore, "You know how I felt about this."

Arthur shrugged, and turned serious. _"I couldn't figure out who to use as my second either, so I asked Alexander. He said to choose the first person to ask about it. That person was thinking ahead, concerned enough to ask, and knew the team well enough to worry about it. Plus, he was brave enough to stand up and ask about it, all of which make a good team leader."_

Michael muttered something Arthur chose to ignore. Arthur hugged his brother in a rare display. "I have faith in you little brother," he said as he mounted his broomstick. "Take care of our people."

Mercy was worrying. There were only two members of Chimera accounted for, and that meant the rest of them could be anywhere. She blinked, and considered something quickly. In the next few seconds after coming to her decision, she did three things quickly.

She called the Griffon team, and told them to pin down the two Chimeras there.

She called the halt, and dug out her map; and last she called Jerrick forward to her.

"Jerrick, get with the point team, bring us to a course of 310 degrees, and move out at top speed."

Jerrick frowned as her thought about that course, which took them roughly parallel to their destination. "Why?"

Mercy smirked at him. "I'm going to use the link against Chimera. Griffon is pinning down the two Chimeras there, and we're going to exceed the distance they can separate. By the time the other six can free their element up, we'll have a huge head start."

Jerrick looked at the map, and thought about it. "It will work, but if all of Chimera attacks Griffon, we'll lose the whole team."

Mercy closed her eyes, and when she opened them, Jerrick shivered. He'd read stories about people with cold eyes, but this was the first time he'd seen eyes he would call dead.

"Yes, we will lose the team." Said the stranger in Mercy's body, and then she blinked, and her eyes were soft and sad again. "But I can't think of any other way to get the convoy through, can you?"

Jerrick looked around as the convoy moved out. They had started this morning with fifty-two, and they were down to twenty-six.

Somehow, Jerrick figured that number was going to drop before this was all over.

James was watching the convoy through the eyes of a raven, and noted the course change. He passed the information to Adam, who started plotting an ambush spot on that heading. They were still working when something changed all their plans.

_"James, there's something strange going on here. Michael is not trying to kill us, he's just pinning us down."_

Adam looked at the map, and figured out Mercy's strategy as soon as he mentally added Hangeld's position. _"James, Mercy is trying to use the link against us. Her new course will take her out of the range of the links in less than eleven minutes."_

James sighed as he considered what this would do to their plans. "_I would give a year's profits to get her to do offensive work,"_ he said. _"Adam, take Lisa and go get Hangeld and Emma. Don't worry about killing Griffon, just rejoin us soonest."_

Adam and Lisa were moving even before they figured out what James had in mind. _"You're going to try and slow them down enough for us to get Hangeld and Emma and rejoin you."_

The other four members of Chimera were heading for Mercy's last known location. _"Yes, and you'd better hurry. We're going to be at the limits of our range soon."_

Using the superior speed of the Starblades, James, Tiffany, Rose and Melissa were soon approaching the convoy. James discarded stealth and harassment tactics for sheer mayhem. _"Alright people,_" he said, "_let's make a strafing run right down the center, and try to get Jerrick and Mercy. Full speed down the center, and fire at will."_

The four of them dropped the vestigial shields they kept over their thoughts normally and meshed as they came in sight of the convoy.

Hydra was the rear guard, and they sounded the alarm. Breaking into two groups, Hydra attempted to pin Chimera between their elements. Using Rose's sight, the Starblades and their tighter link, Chimera broke into four separate elements, and started flying wild patterns that had the smaller two man element of Hydra under continuous fire from one or two Chimeras at all times.

Daniel called for help, as soon as he realized that he didn't have enough forces to pin any Chimera. "Mercy, we need help. James has pulled all the stops, and they're going to eat us alive."

Mercy was watching the fight as the convoy fled, and she had already come to the same conclusion. She looked around and made a decision.

"All convoy elements" she sent over the rings, "listen up. All elements are to take their orders from Jerrick. Jerrick, I'm taking the remaining four Phoenixes, and we're going to run with the cargo. You engage this element of Chimera, and try to remove them."

Mercy and the last of the Phoenix team took the cargo, and started off, heading for the destination as fast as their overburdened broomsticks would let them.

The remains of the linked teams turned to Jerrick, who started issuing orders as they flew towards the dogfight nearly a mile behind them now. "Everyone is to target one Chimera first. We'll gang up on them one at a time, as our sole advantage lies in sheer numbers."

Somebody asked whom they should target first, and Jerrick looked at the rapidly approaching fight. He noted that Chimera had already killed Daniel and William, and were starting on the other group. He looked at the Chimeras, and chose. "We'll take Tiffany first, she's the easiest to see."

Looking ahead, the others had to agree. Three of the Chimeras had black hair, but Tiffany's bushy mane of red hair stood out like a banner.

Warned of the plan over the radio, the last two members of Sphinx began the Tiffany hunt, and Jerrick's team hit the area a few seconds later.

With thirteen people after one, they soon caught Tiffany, despite the maneuverability of her broomstick. Jerrick had only been considering the easiest target when he chose Tiffany, and had not considered the effect of her 'death' on James.

James felt the pain of the wax pellets hitting Tiffany, and his head whipped around, seeing her, and then finding the unlucky Unicorn that had shot her. He broke off the attack he was pressing on Jerrick and flew at Mario Brothers.

Mario turned from Tiffany, and started reloading only to find James bearing down on him. Mario was caught flat, as he dropped his magazine for the weapon. He tried to escape, but James would have none of that. James waited until the range was less than twenty yards before triggering a full clip of ammunition at Mario.

Mario winced as he was hit with over twenty pellets.

Even as James eliminated Mario, Melissa was taken out by another one of Jerrick's people.

James and Rose dropped the Chimera link, and used the twinbond to mesh, and even as they meshed, Rose got two more convoy people as they had to come to near stops to avoid hitting each other.

With odds of ten to two, James and Rose knew they were in trouble. They dropped any pretense of needing words, as they began using a technique they had perfected on the Quidditch Pitch. Using bursts of bullets in place of Bludgers, they would cut a target out of the group and eliminate him. As soon as they killed that one, they used the speed of the Starblades to break contact with the convoy's people.

_"Adam, where are you? We need you now."_ sent James.

Adam and Lisa had been invisible when they hit Griffon, and they had taken Michael out in the first volley. With their last effective leader gone, Griffon had fallen in seconds.

The four surviving members of Chimera were pushing hard to catch up to the aerial battle. _"Two minutes to your position._" reported Adam. "_We're all invisible, and our attack should disrupt them entirely."_

_"Negative. Bypass the fight, find Mercy and take out the cargo,"_ said James. _"As long as it's just Rose and I, we have all the advantages here. You have to stop that convoy."_

Adam was dubious about that. _"Are you sure about that?"_

James sent a flash of humour down the link. "_Calculated risk. Rose and I can mesh better with the twinbond, and anything else that moves is fair game." _James sent another flash of humour. _"In fact, we have some things we've been saving, and this looks like a good time to try them out."_

Adam altered his course, feeling the three Chimeras with him alter course to follow. They spread out, nearly a hundred meters apart as they looked for Mercy and the rest of the convoy.

Back at the dogfight, Jerrick was worrying. James and Rose had used the speed of the Starblades to pull away from the last nine people, and were keeping just out of range, while staying close enough that he couldn't let his people turn and rejoin Mercy. He also had no idea where the other Chimeras were, and that was nearly as annoying.

Jerrick sent a ring message to Griffon, and was not terribly surprised when he didn't get an answer back. He then called Mercy. "Mercy, Griffon is not answering, so we're going to have company here soon, and I think Chimera can take what I have left."

Nearly ten miles away, Mercy thought quickly. "I hate to ask this, but just keep them busy for another fifteen minutes. By then our lead will be too large for them to catch us short of our delivery point." She thought for a second longer, and then said, "That way, the supplies get through at least."

Jerrick sighed. "I hope those are vital supplies at least. I would hate to find out we lost all of Phoenix and the rest protecting the mail run."

Mercy grinned. "Ours is not to reason why," she sent over the ring, quoting an old military saying she'd learned from Alexander, and Jerrick joined her on the last line. "Ours is but to do or die."

Jerrick noticed James and Rose changing course, and signed off with Mercy's "Good luck" ringing in his ears.

Jerrick watched the Evans twins stop and groaned, as there were suddenly ten sets of twins in the sky. He watched helplessly as they all began weaving in and out of each other, making it impossible to tell which two where the real twins. Matters only got worse as all the twins started back to engage his people.

Since the remains of the convoy and Chimera were outside of the area the links could separate, all the 'dead' Manticores were circling the area with those members of Wolfpack that could use broomsticks. Most of them were watching the dogfight, but the Phoenix team members were watching Mercy run for the destination.

A collective groan rose from those people as gunfire announced the presence of Adam and the missing Chimeras. Only one of the remaining Phoenix members went down, but that was enough to cost them a quarter of the supplies.

Adam was getting worried. Chimera was once again pushing the limits of the link, and it was showing in the accuracy of their shooting. He had Lisa and Emma sling their weapons and start using magic, but even that didn't help much, and Adam knew that Mercy was too good not to notice the problems they were having.

_"James,"_ he sent, _"Can you bring the fight this way? We're going to lose Mercy soon if we don't do something."_

James considered the rapidly worsening headache he had, and agreed. _"Follow Mercy, and don't lose her. Rose and I are in route. We don't have to wipe them out after all, just stop the supplies."_

Jerrick swore as two of the twins harassing his troops broke off suddenly and flew away from his team. Watching them fly in the same direction Mercy had gone earlier, he called her. "You have the Yanks inbound at high speed." He warned her.

Mercy's answer was not at all ladylike. "I'm not surprised. The rest of them are here already, but not doing too well. I think they're pushing the limits of the link again."

Jerrick regarded the disappearing duo sourly. "Not for long." He muttered as he gathered his people and headed after them.

Mercy had broken the invisibility spells Chimera was using, and was managing to stay one step ahead of Adam by the skin of her teeth. Without the cargo, she could have evaded Adam, but with the cargo weighing her three remaining troops down, she was barely staying out of magic range.

When Jerrick called to warn her about the Evans approaching, she made a hasty decision. Passing orders to her three, she called Jerrick back and outlined her plans. As James and Rose came into view, Mercy and the other three ducked under the cover of the trees.

Adam and the others waited for James and Rose, and then they went into the trees after them. They had barely gone below the level of the trees when Mercy and other Phoenix people rose back up, and took off on a course that took them on a route that would soon intercept Jerrick and the others.

Chimera searched the woods for nearly five minutes before Adam figured out what had happened. He relayed his thinking to James, who reached overhead for an eagle with the Totem skills. Using the eagle's eyes, he quickly found Mercy's element and saw that they would meet up with Jerrick long before Chimera could catch them.

They went after them, but barely a minute into their pursuit, Adam slowed. _"Wait, there's something wrong here. This is too easy. Mercy knows about James and the animals, and that we can see what they are doing. Either she's getting desperate, or this is a trick."_

James reached for the eagle again. _"I see Mercy and three cargo laden Phoenix team members about to link up with Jerrick just south of Three Forks River."_

_"That's impossible," _said Adam after checking the mental map in his head. _"With the cargo slowing them down, they could never have gotten that far."_

James frowned. _"Are you sure?"_

Emma was listening. _"James it's that whole broomstick performance thing again. Isn't that why you're getting Starblades for everyone?"_

James swore softly. _"I have got to remember that. I keep estimating what they can do based on what I could do." _He thought for a minute. _"Ok, if that's not her, then she must be trying to sneak by with the cargo, while we tangle with the main element of her forces."_

Adam agreed, and then grinned. _"Why don't we take care of both of them? James, you and Rose stay here, and use Rose's sight to find Mercy, while we go take on Jerrick, with illusions of you two."_

That was quickly arranged, and Adam, Emma, Lisa and Hangeld took off with the two illusions. James and Rose meshed, and started looking for Mercy with Rose's Sight, and a Muggle heat sensor. Rose's Sight won that contest, and the invisible twins were soon looking at Mercy and the last two Phoenix team members. They had gone invisible and were slowly sneaking down a gully, less than a mile from the destination.

As the Evans watched them with the heat sensor, James asked, "_Which one is Mercy?"_

Rose looked at them with that inner sight and was soon answering. _"She's the one on the left."_

_"We'll take her out." _James said quietly, as he considered the trio. _"She's too good, and if she gets away again, she might actually get the cargo there since they are so close."_

James and Rose meshed again, and using that and Rose's Sight, they drifted in front of, and slightly above the three sneakers. When they were ready, Rose started the countdown. _"Remember she's on the right from this angle. Six feet high, and passing the TRP in three, two, one, now."_

James and Rose fired, filling the air around their TRP with bullets. Mercy was hit at least twice, and she trembled, on the verge of attacking with curses and hexes through the red haze her vision had become. She fought the urge down and landed quietly.

Without Mercy's guidance, the other two were easy, and the twins took a second to use 'Portkeys' to release all three of them, before heading for the feel of Chimera in the back of their heads.

_"Adam, we've stopped Mercy, and are inbound your location." _Rose reported as the twins pulled away from the three cargo carriers.

Adam had been harassing and sniping at Jerrick's team, and had lost Emma when she got a little too close, and Jerrick's team had been able to catch her in a crossfire of wax and magic. Jerrick had lost four in the same period though, and was certain that something was up. He considered the careful game Adam was playing and the lack of aggression from the Evans, and acting on a hunch, he called Mercy. Her lack of response told him all he needed to know, and suddenly, the rules were different.

Jerrick no longer needed to worry about completing a mission, only about getting his people out alive, and that made this a whole new kind of game. He had to do something though, before James and Rose got here. Against Adam or James, he could hold his own barely. Against both of them, backed with Rose's Sight, he had no chance, and Jerrick knew it. He was passing orders down the ring when his ring pulsed with an incoming call.

"Jerrick here."

To his surprise, it was James. "I have a challenge for you. You and I are a good match in tactics, right?"

Jerrick agreed, and James continued. "Ok, here's the challenge. You see that patch of woods off to your left? You and I will land on opposite sides, and enter the woods on foot. Whoever comes out, gets the win."

Jerrick studied the woods while he thought about it. "What's the catch?"

"No catch," James assured him. "I think I can take you one on one, and I'm willing to bet on it, rather than risk losing anymore of my people." James laughed suddenly. "Rose says to tell you it's another of my damn fool Calculated risks."

James was counting on them being evenly matched. Jerrick was more patient, and if he found a good position in the woods, James would have to come to him, and as any military person can tell you, in an ambush the first person to shoot usually wins. On the other hand, James was intimately familiar with woods like this, having grown up in them, just a few miles away, whereas Jerrick was from Diagon Alley, or London.

Jerrick agreed to the match, provided James didn't use his Shaman skills or the Chimera link. James had been expecting those conditions, and agreed readily. He was grinning as he made one more call to Jerrick. "Just to show you how nice I am, I won't use the twinbond or the Soulbond to relay information either, even though you only said the link."

Jerrick snickered as he answered James. "I knew you were going to say that. You're too nice for your own good."

James blinked, and looked around at Chimera who were careful to keep their smiles hidden, even though James could feel their amusement with the link. It was Rose that answered the unspoken question. _"He means that you believe in fair play, and will not cheat, even if you're left an opening to."_

James shrugged. _"Is that all? I thought maybe my reputation was slipping, and I'd have to pound another fool this year."_

Lisa smiled wryly. "_I don't think you have to worry about that. Even some of the younger Manticores, who know you believe you beat four or five Slytherins nearly to death with your bare hands."_

James grinned at them as he took off for his side off the woods. _"Ten years from now, it'll be all of the house at this rate."_

Overhead, Tiffany was passing the situation on to Alexander, and the other Wolfpack and Manticore people with them.

"One of these days, James's calculated risks are going to bite him in the ass." Said Alexander from the chair used to carry the Wolfpack trainers that were Squibs or Muggles.

Tiffany had a sudden mental image of a strange looking six-legged beast with large fangs biting James on the butt. Suppressing the giggles this picture caused, she sent the bizarre image to the rest of Chimera. Laughter broke out among them, as the 'Calculated risk' beast gnawed at James's rear.

Manticore and Wolfpack were landing to await the outcome of this meeting. James and Jerrick were in place, and James shielded the two links lightly. "Are you ready?" he asked Jerrick.

At Jerrick's affirmative answer, James replied, "Then let's do it," and the two of them disappeared into the woods.

Tiffany was the only one that knew what was going on in the woods, and she only knew James's side. "James ran as soon as he got inside the trees. He's trying to get further ahead than Jerrick would believe." She reported to the crowd gathering around her. "He's stopped now, and is casting invisibility and silence spells on himself, and he's sneaking now."

She was silent for a minute, and then reported, "He's found a place that gives him good visibility, and he's settled down to listen for a minute."

Jerrick's plan was simple; Find a place that had cover, settle down and wait. James was far more impatient than Jerrick, and eventually, he'd come to Jerrick, and Jerrick could ambush him.

Jerrick was looking for that ambush site as he advanced carefully, scanning the area thoroughly before moving into it. He found a deadfall that allowed for cover on three sides, and eased into it, trying not to dislodge or disturb anything. He wasn't sure how good James was at tracking, and he did not want to leave a large sign pointing to his hiding place.

Jerrick found his sniper hole, and settled in to wait.

Manticore was waiting for Tiffany to say something, and suddenly she began verbalizing James's thoughts. "Jerrick's no fool. He'll try to find a covered position and settle in to outwait me, which he can do. I have to try and find a way to negate his ambush." James thought about and discarded a dozen plans quickly. Then a thought struck him, and he considered it carefully. He grinned at the idea, and set into motion.

Jerrick was carefully scanning the woods, patiently waiting for the slightly hyperactive James to come to him, when he heard something. He waited, easing the safety off to avoid the metallic click it gave off.

Suddenly, James came strolling out of the woods, hands in his pockets and his weapon slung over his back. He was singing a song, some sort of Muggle thing about country roads taking him home. Jerrick sighted in, and then paused, eyes narrowed in concentration. This was not like James at all.

He started looking around, past the strolling figure, and that's when he saw the quietly creeping figure, moving from one piece of cover to the next, with long pauses as it scanned the woods.

Jerrick grinned as he carefully shifted his rifle to cover the figure. The strolling figure was at the halfway point now, and Jerrick smirked as he realized it was endlessly repeating one section of the song.

He stopped though, as he sighted in on the sneaking figure. With James's reflexes, he was only going to get one shot, and it had better hit. Jerrick knew James was the better shot, so he every intention of not being shot at by James.

He waited for that natural pause in his breathing, when the body is at it's stillest, and gently squeezed the trigger. His shot rang out, and three things followed so closely on his shot that he never was sure which of them started first.

The figure he shot at blew up in a blinding flare, causing him to see spots in his vision.

James saw the muzzle flash, and reacted as well as practice and tightly strung nerves could make him. His hands came up, and his thumb was cocking the .45 pistol even as his hands met, and he tracked the flash. He found his target, and he triggered all seven rounds as fast as he could re-acquire the target.

Jerrick saw the movement out of the corner of his eye, but between the spots in his eyes and looking the wrong way, he didn't have a chance. He tried to bring his rifle around to the singer, but he felt the string of three of James's pellets before he had a target.

Jerrick lay there, letting his vision clear, and putting James's thinking together. He looked at the grinning James and spoke in a conversational tone. "You were counting on me thinking you were too paranoid to expose yourself like that, weren't you?"

James finished reloading his pistol and agreed. "Yes, I was. That, and I kept repeating the chorus so you would think it was an illusion."

Jerrick stood up as his vision cleared, and slung his weapon so he could draw his wand. "You know this only worked because we know each other well."

James agreed instantly. "I would never try this on anyone I didn't know was as least as Noid like as I am." He stuck his hand out to Jerrick. "Maybe next year, you'll take me."

Jerrick grinned as he shook James's hand. "Next year, I'll use a grenade, and take both of the figures down."

James stared at him for a second as they summoned their broomsticks. He frowned. "I never even thought about that," he confessed, "and I'm glad you didn't either."

The AAR was short, as Phoenix had done almost everything right. As Alexander told them, "Against any other team, you would be home sipping hot chocolate by now. Against Rose's Sight, Adam's skills and the liberal use of spying by James using the Totem magic, you might as well have invited Chimera to help you plan the mission."

He looked out over the crowd. "Once the mission started, only Dragon made any serious errors."

Debra Valentine winced. "I should have taken more people."

Alexander agreed with her. "Had you followed doctrine, that you have a three to one advantage in any fight, Chimera would not have been able to wipe you out like that. Before that though, I have noticed one flaw in the training. Those of you without Muggle backgrounds keep forgetting the Muggle things. Miss Valentine, had you scanned the illusions with the heat sensor, you would have known that they were not humans, because illusions don't give off body heat."

Alexander finished the AAR with a short lecture. "Magic is one way of doing things, and Muggles have other ways to do almost everything you can do. By carefully combining the two, you can double your effectiveness, that increases your chances of coming home, and more importantly, it increases your people's chances of coming home."

Manticore spent the rest of the day cleaning their gear and storing it for next year. After everyone was done and the first year Manticores rejoined them, they all Portkeyed to the east coast Wizard city of Yorktown in North Carolina. From there, they Portkeyed back to Hogsmeade for the family weekend.

Manticore's tension level was rising, because this year, the week would not be all fun and games. This year, the families would be told about Manticore's true purpose, and not even Rose could tell where that would lead.

_That's right, the enemy I mentioned in the A/N are the parents. After all, how hard can it be, to convince 70 sets of parents that it's ok for their children (11-17 in age) to use Muggle guns, explosives and throw curses at each other? Not to mention, they will be the front-line troops in the War, and the parents are just going to love that._


	21. Manticore Revealed

Chapter 21: Manticore revealed

Manticore arrived in Hogsmeade several hours before the families would start arriving by Portkey, and the time was used to make last minute adjustments in the plans for the day. Rose and Melissa were worn to a frazzle, as they had been up all night working on something, and even Lisa's coffee only had so much affect on a person.

James sent them to a quiet corner to catch some sleep before the families arrived, as he wanted all of Chimera at their best. Today, Manticore would tell the families everything. How they were going to react was a matter of furious debate over the links and among the various members of Manticore without links.

Several of the families of course, already knew about it, and would be speaking on Manticore's behalf. The entire Weasley clan would be there, along with a good many of the Borderers; mostly Rangers that Alexander had approached. The Borderers had been nearly decimated during the Voldemort War since nobody would help them on the borders, and this time Alexander was not going to lose so many friends and comrades in another war.

Almost all of the people from the first meeting in Dumbledore's office two years ago would be there, except for Jose Amigo, who was not at all willing to show his face at such a large gathering. Jose was a spy, who walked in the shadowy world of Wizard criminals, and to show up at a meeting like this would be folly.

Robert agreed, and added another reason. There were a few people here that had worked as Aurors at one time or another, and they might recognize Jose as one of the criminal element that most Wizards barely knew existed. Having ties to the criminals would not be a good thing at this point, although it could be revealed later, after Manticore and Cumulus had proven themselves.

James kept running around double-checking things until Mary simply stopped Tiffany and handed her a brush. "Take him away, and don't let him go until he's relaxed enough to stop this crap. Robert is bad enough, I don't need two of them running around."

Tiffany smiled at James's mother. "He'll never relax that much. Maybe I should find him an animal to rescue while we wait."

Mary Evans rolled her eyes. "Goodness no, we don't need him showing up all bloody and covered in fur." They shared a quick smile as James came up.

He was looking at the brush as he replied to his mother's comment. "I don't always get hurt rescuing things."

Mary looked at him and smiled gently as she hugged him. "James, do you realize that by the time you were eight, I had taken enough classes, and gotten enough experience working on you to qualify as a Medihelper?" James blinked as he thought about that. Medihelpers were the same as Paramedics in the Muggle world, but they worked with spells and magic rather than equipment and medicines. Before he could say anything though, Tiffany was pulling him away by the hand. Five minutes later, they were lost in the reverie that only came with the Soulbonded touch of each other.

Adam was discussing the order of people that would be speaking with Robert, and looking at the notes and references that Robert had amassed for this day. Adam was quietly impressed with the forethought Robert showed, having never thought of running a large business in strategic terms.

Robert was quick to disabuse him of the ideas Adam had. "Running a major corporation is very much like low grade warfare. You have your side, which consists of you and all the people that work for, or with you. You also have the enemy, which is everybody else that can or will take your business or customers. The only difference between what you're doing, and what I have to do, is that I can't shoot or curse the enemy. Much as I'd like to sometimes."

Adam was also impressed with the speed with which Robert made decisions. He wasn't as smart as Lisa, or as methodical as Emily in researching things, but he had decades of experience to draw on, and an ability to take three or four facts and put together a working plan with enough flexibility to account for any sudden changes. Unlike James, who thrived on tension and was always in motion, Robert had an aura of calm and relaxation that fooled people that didn't know him.

Adam though, was learning, as he worked with Robert that that aura covered a controlled energy that rivaled James. He had a sudden picture of James in ten years or so, with the same controlled way, until he remembered that James probably wouldn't live long enough to get that aura, because of the Soulbond.

Lisa and Jerrick were going through the mass of data that had accumulated while Manticore was at the training site, and that had not been considered important enough to pass on to Jerrick while he was training. There was a great deal of it, but since Jerrick's father was the person that looked at it while they were in Training, most of it was merely random data. Lisa did stop and look at one piece of information for several minutes before passing it to Jerrick. They had a quick conversation, and Jerrick ended up sending off an owl at Lisa's request.

Emma and Hangeld had been drafted to help Phoenix set up the benches and other things in the conference tent that Cumulus had set up. They were also keeping an eye on more than twenty long boxes set up along the wall. The boxes contained the Starblades for Manticore and those members of the Wolfpack that could use them.

They were sitting on a bench talking about their next experiment when Emily approached them. "I need a favor. Can you talk to James for a minute?"

Emma reached for James, using the link. _"James? Are you busy?"_

_"Just having a bit of enforced relaxation, what's up?"_ James's voice was calm and suffused with the enjoyment of having Tiffany brushing his hair.

_"Emily wants to have a word with you."_ James focused slightly, without losing the feeling Tiffany and he were sharing, and Emma felt Tiffany join him, listening to her.

Emma turned to Emily, and told her she had James's attention. Emily nodded and began talking, referring to notes in her little book. "Ok, it's fairly simple; I was researching something in 'Hogwarts, a History' and I found a room with no doors, and I was wondering if I could use whatever it that James and Tiffany use to find their way around Hogwarts, I assume it is some type of map, and that it has to be magical, but I was wondering if I could borrow it," she looked at her notes again, and continued while Emma was still passing that to James and Tiffany. "because according to the map in the book, the Endless stairway touches one point of the third floor every twenty minutes, but as far as I can tell, it doesn't have any doors there, so I checked the dimensions of the known rooms on the third floor, and there is a space there that would hold a room about the size of Gryffindor's common room, however, there are no marked entrances anywhere, and as far as I can tell, there are no doors into it, and I was hoping their magical aid would show it."

Emma passed the entire thing to James, who was impressed. _"She said all that in one sentence? Did she stop to breathe at all?"_

_"You know Emily, when she's researching something, she doesn't stop for anything, including minor things like eating and breathing." _Emma said dryly.

_"Tell her to get with us when we get back to school, and we'll show her our little map."_ Tiffany said, _"but right now, it is my turn to be brushed."_

Emma relayed the information as the feel of the pair faded out, and Emily sighed. "I was hoping to solve this before the week was out, so I could move on to something else." She looked at the boxes. "What's with all the Broomsticks?"

Emma stared at her. "How did you know what they were?"

Emily shrugged. "Given what James has been saying about the different performances capabilities of the broomsticks, and the fact that he's obsessed with making sure we can all survive this project, I had to assume he would be doing something about the Broomstick problem. Given his family ties to Cumulus and the Starblade company, I assume they're Starblades as well."

Emily thought for a minute, putting the pieces together. "He's going to use them as some sort of proof of Manticore's commitment to the Prophecy."

Emma and Hangeld looked at each other and then at Emily. "You should keep your logic quiet," Hangeld suggested, "James wants it to be a surprise."

"I know that, it wouldn't have nearly the impact on the families if everyone knew about it in advance." Emily smiled at the two of them. "Just because I have a book with me most of the time doesn't mean I don't pay attention to what's around me."

She wandered off, pulling another book from her robes as she went, leaving Emma and Hangeld staring after her, bemused.

The families were scheduled to arrive over a four-hour period, and since they had the schedule, Manticore was able to make sure each family was met by their children. They couldn't hide the tension in the air though, and it was a quiet gathering, as the families talked to children they had not seen in nearly a year. As soon as the last family had arrived, the list of families was taken to Robert, who examined it for any surprises. As Rose had made extensive use of her Sight for this, there weren't any, and Robert set the first plans in motion.

The family heads were given two envelopes. One was sealed, and they were asked to hold on to those, while the other had a sheet of paper with a question on it. The head of each family was asked to write their responses on the paper, and seal it in the second envelope.

After each team leader reported that they had all the responses written down and sealed, the Family heads, whoever they were, were taken into the large tent Robert had set up for this event. When everyone was inside, Robert and Mary warded the tent, so that nobody outside the tent could hear what was going on inside. The family members left outside were not too bothered by this, as Cumulus had spent a couple of days setting up several activities for them to do while the discussion was going on, and there was a carnival air outside the tent.

When Robert and Mary were done with the wards, Robert walked to the podium set on a raised platform in the front of the tent, and took a second to look around. Besides the podium, there were three rows of chairs on the platform, and setting in them were most of the people that would be speaking for Manticore. There were several Weasleys, who had gained an amazing reputation during the Voldemort War, as well as the Clearwaters, Harry and Ginny Potter, and Albus Dumbledore. Chimera was also there, and the back row was a veritable who's who of the Rangers, including Falcon, Blacklegs, Alexander and Martin, as well as several other names from the Voldemort War who were in on the secret already.

Robert had found recruiting easier in Europe simply because so many people had been so intimately affected by the Voldemort war, and they were more willing to make sure it didn't happen again. In addition, he had the advantage of being able to call on the veterans of the last war, who had given him more names to work with.

Deciding he'd delayed long enough, he looked at over the crowd, noting the tension in the air, and the looks on their faces. He held up a hand full of notes. "When I first started planning this, I planned to treat it like a business meeting, and I was wrong." He said calmly, as the people quieted to hear what he was going to say. "I'm going to talk to you, not as a businessman, but as a parent with children involved in this thing. I have to apologize to you first. Manticore is an educational society, as your children's grades should be reflecting, but that is not its primary purpose."

He took a deep breath, and forged on. "Manticore's purpose, and the reason that you haven't seen your children much, is to protect us all against a Dark Wizard that will make Voldemort look like a baby throwing a temper tantrum."

An instant of silence after he finished talking exploded into shouts and cries. He held up his hand, and waited patiently for the people to quiet down again. "I know this sounds bad, but I am asking you to hear me out, and allow me to answer any questions you may have before making up your mind."

In the silence, he began with Elric and Cassandra's story, and laid out what had happened to them. At the appropriate point, the Manticores handed a copy of the Prophecy to their parents, and Robert walked them through it, as he'd done so many times before, including for James and Rose. Several questions were asked, and he answered them as best he could. When he was done, Manticore's history was gone over, including the links. The dissolvable nature of the links was stressed, and Robert finished the initial argument.

"I am now going to open the floor for your questions." He said, and they were not long in coming.

"How are children going to defend us all? Why aren't you using adults for this?" asked one parent, who James recognized as Mr. Higgs, father of Debra and Lily Higgs of the Unicorn team.

"That is at once a simple question, and a very complex one." Robert said. "First, we are drawing from adults, and if you're willing, some of you have skills and experience that we will draw on, now that you know about this project. The eight are the age they are, and there is nothing we can do about that. The rest of the children though, will not be children when the war starts, as the worst case has it starting in three years, although the Seer thinks it will be in four, and I believe her."

Robert sighed. "I would prefer not to have to do this at all, but as it has fallen to us to do it, we should have the best possible chance. Unlike the last war, we know this one is coming, and we can prepare, which includes training the people that will be in the thick of it. Every Manticore will have a minimum of six years of training when it starts, and won't be reaching middle age, like most of us will be. They're going to still have the reflexes and reactions of youth, combined with the experience of years of training, something we adults simply cannot take the time for. We have jobs, families to support, and no time to learn all the things we need to learn."

"There is one other thing as well. Almost all of us are Wizards, used to living in the Wizard world, and we don't have the faintest clue about Muggle things, but in order to keep our children alive, we're teaching them about the Muggles, and their devices, and it's easier for a child or younger person to wrap their minds around new concepts and ideas." Robert smiled wryly. "I myself run a company in both worlds, and have been doing so for twenty years. I have access to Muggle devices that can send a letter around the world in seconds, and yet, my first impulse when I need to send something is to look for an owl."

He looked around, at the people slowly nodding in agreement, and noting the ones that still looked stubborn, and there were far too many of those still. "As for using the people that are Muggles, or Muggleborn Wizards, but adults, they have the same problem in reverse. They tend to look for Muggle answers first, and ignore the magical answers. What we need are people that are equally comfortable in either world, and there simply are not that many of those. We almost have to train them all from the start."

The next question was much easier to answer, and opened a line Robert had been hoping for. Mrs. Redstone, mother of Teun Redstone of the Phoenix team asked, "Why isn't the Ministry of Magic involved in this?"

Robert looked through his notes and held up two letters. "This letter was written by one of the people that know about the Prophecy, and details everything we can prove, and what we think, making clear distinctions between them. It was sent to the Ministry a month ago. Two days later, we got this letter back, and this is what is written in it."

Robert opened the second letter, and began reading it. "To: Mr. Jackson:

Sir, we have studied your letter in depth, and can assure you that there is no basis of fact in it. The story of the Prophecy given in your letter is impossible, as no Soulbonded couple has ever survived more than seconds after the death of their other half, and it is impossible for two people to occupy one body in any case."

Robert stopped reading, and looked over to the bench where the Xaviers sat. "Mr. Xavier, would you care to respond to that, as it is your family that is being maligned here?"

Melissa's father, Johann Xavier stood up. "Eight hundred years ago, Debra Xavier was the MediWitch that took care of Elric Evans after the death of Cassandra Evans. I have here, the copies of her notes and the medical records of Mr. Evans that we have kept ever since, along with the copy of the Prophecy that Debra kept for herself." He looked at the notes, and held them up. "Fact: Cassandra Evans died May 16th, and Elric was brought to the hospital and admitted that same day. He did in fact live until the next day, and died on May 17th. This has been recorded in every book on Soulbonds since then, since it remains the only time a Soulbonded couple has failed to die within seconds of each other. Fact: Debra Xavier was the MediWitch assigned to the case, and by use of a potion, managed to communicate with Elric."

He looked up, and smiled. "Whether his words were the raving of a madman or Prophecy is the point we are discussing now, so I will not go into that. Fact: In casting the spells that allow a MediWitch to see the mind and vital signs of a patient, Debra found several anomalies, including a female aura residing in Eric's body with his, according to her notes and the official conclusions of a panel set up to examine the death afterwards."

He regarded the crowd soberly. "As to the Ministry's claim that two people cannot occupy the same body, I need only point to the fact that a Professor at Hogwarts managed to keep Voldemort in his body for most of a school year, right here, and that can be attested to by Professor Dumbledore, as well as several others here." He sat down, and the crowd turned back towards Robert Evans as they buzzed with speculation.

Robert waited for the murmurs to stop, and continued quoting from the letter. "In addition to that, while the half-giant ancestry of the Hagrids is common knowledge, and there are in fact both a Soulbonded couple and a Healer currently at Hogwarts, after careful examination, we cannot find any evidence of the other so-called 'Eight' residing anywhere in the country at this time, nor is there a Seer currently alive."

Robert looked up, and turned to Albus Dumbledore. "Headmaster Dumbledore, have you been asked about the students in your school?"

Professor Dumbledore stood up, and spoke in a low voice that carried throughout the tent. "Neither myself, nor any member of my staff have been approached about the students in the school at this time."

Robert nodded, waited for the Headmaster sat back down, and then looked at three other men, while speaking to the crowd. "Almost all of you will remember that Ron Weasley, Alexander Evans and Mr. Clearwater were the driving forces behind the strategic and tactical decisions during the Voldemort war. Gentlemen, would one of you care to speak?"

Robert got a surprise this time, as a woman stood up. "Actually," she said, "I have the privilege to speak now." Murmurs rose through the crowd as the people that recognized Athena Clearwater told their neighbors who she was. "I am Athena Clearwater, and I have been listening to my husband, Mr. Evans and Mr. Weasley talk about Adam Brooks for over a year now, and it is their consensus that Mr. Brooks will be at least as good as any one of them, probably better, at strategy with a bit more training and some experience."

More murmurs ran through the crowd at that, and most people turned to look at the quiet boy sitting with the rest of the Eight. Robert waited, and looked at the letter again. "The Ministry admits the existence of the Soulbonded and the Healer, as well as Hangeld Hagrid's half-giant ancestry. We have offered all the proof we have of the Warrior, and that leaves the Seer, the Mental Wizard and the Fireheart. We shall now offer a bit of proof of the Mental Wizard. Madame Weasley, would you like to speak?"

Hermione Granger-Weasley stood up, and faced the crowd. "I am Hermione Granger-Weasley, and I have been corresponding with Miss Lisa Malfoy for almost two years, and have met with her on several occasions, and it is my opinion, and the opinions of the professors at Hogwarts that Lisa is at least as smart as I am, and possibly even more so." The talk was louder this time, fueled by the Malfoy name, and by hearing the woman that had written nearly a dozen books, including two new textbooks used in almost every magical school admitting that she thought that a child was her equal.

One of the more emotional parents made a comment about Lisa that carried to James's ears. He stood up, and spoke. "I realize that Lisa's father may have been evil, but I have been linked to Lisa for nearly two years now, and her Honor is above reproach. I will even say that she is more honorable than I am, and she is not to blame for what her father did, years before she was born."

"Who are you, that your opinion matters?" Mr. Painter, father of Andrea Painter was openly scornful.

James looked at him, and the rest of Chimera felt Tiffany calming him, before he said something rash. Before he said anything, Andrea spoke up. "He's the boy that defended a girl from two boys, without knowing anymore than she was being picked on, and the leader of our group. I would follow him anywhere, and if he says something, I believe him. James has never lied to any of us." Andrea stared at her father, and there was something behind the choice of her words, undercurrents that spoke of strained relations between her and her father. Mr. Painter colored, but didn't say anything else as other Manticores agreed loudly with Andrea. James sat back down, and Robert looked out over the crowd again.

"For our proof of the Seer, we have prepared a display. Earlier today, you were all given a slip of paper with a question on it, and asked to write down your answer. At the same time, you were given a sealed envelope. I would ask that you now look at that sealed slip of paper, and compare what's written there with your answer." Robert waited, as everyone compared the two slips. "Now, would anyone who has different answers please raise their hand?"

Only one hand went up, and Rose spoke before he could say anything. "My fault, Sir. I was up late last night writing those, and yours was one of the last ones I did. Your answer and mine are almost the same, but I used the American spelling of Meters, and yours has the English version, Metres."

Mr. House agreed that that was the difference between the two papers, and then Mrs. Righter stood up. "How do we know this isn't some type of spell, that simply transferred our answers to the sealed paper?"

Rose smiled at her and spoke. "That is a fair question. Anna, would you give your mother the third envelope I gave you please?" Anna Righter, a Phoenix in her seventh year, handed her mother the envelope Rose has given her after she had given Anna the first two.

Mrs. Righter read the note aloud. "You will ask if this couldn't be a spell of some type. You will be sitting on the third bench on the right, and will be the sixth person from the end. You will be wearing lilac robes and have your shoes off." There was a localized motion, as those close enough to see craned their necks to see if her shoes were off.

Robert Evans frowned as he counted heads. "Rose, she's only the fifth person from the end."

Rose shook her head. "Not exactly. Mrs. Rollins, Harry's mother is pregnant, and I counted her child."

Harry looked at his mother in shock. "Mom?"

Mrs. Rollins smiled, and laid her hand on her belly in a gesture as old as motherhood. "That is proof enough for me, as I only found out yesterday, and I haven't told anyone, since I wanted the whole family to find out at once."

Robert Evans smiled. "Congratulations." He looked around. "Does anyone else need more proof?"

Nobody said anything, and Robert looked at his notes again. "We have shown our proof of the Soulbonded, Mental Wizard, Warrior, Half-Human, Healer and the Seer. The last one though, is a bit harder to prove. Short of placing Miss Weasley in a life threatening position and observing her reactions, I cannot think of any way to do it." He looked up at the crowd. "If any of you can think of a way to test that, without risking the life of one of the Eight, I would be glad to hear it."

Robert looked at the letter in his hand again. "Where was I; here it is." He continued reading. "As for the chances of any finding and using Voldemort's spellbooks, that is impossible, as they were destroyed in the assault on his stronghold at the end of the war." Robert looked up. "If that is so, why is the government wasting money looking for them? Even in America, the Aurors have standing orders to investigate any rumours of the Voldemort spellbooks."

He looked back at the paper in his hand. "Here is the part that really interests me. Most of you will remember that Voldemort had to actually invade the Ministry of Magic during the second phase of the war before the Ministry would admit he was back. I would invite you to compare their reactions then, to this last paragraph." He read the last paragraph into a dead silence, as the families waited to hear what it said.

"In the interests of public peace of mind, and to prevent the panic that spreading these unfounded rumours could cause, we ask that you refrain from mentioning this theory to anyone. The Ministry assures you that there is no fact to any of this." Robert looked up. "The letter is signed by Cornelius Fudge."

"I may," Robert admitted, "be wrong about the Prophecy happening now. In fact, I hope I am. I would prefer to be wrong, and let these children grow up in peace. However, I don't think I am, and to bury my head in the sand, as the Ministry did before, and seems to be doing again, is the height of folly. Can anyone here say I am wrong about that?"

Nobody said anything, and Robert judged that he'd said enough for now, and called a lunch break. As the families ate, the Manticores answered their questions, or passed the questions they couldn't answer up the line to someone who could answer it. By the time Robert called them all back into the tent, and warded it again, he had a list of questions and concerns that the families had raised during lunch.

"I'm going to address everyone's concerns, and if you have some that you haven't mentioned for whatever reason, I'll be here all week. Any of you are asked to talk to me, or Mary Evans at any time. I would prefer to miss an hour or two of sleep to allay any fears you may have than have you go away unsatisfied."

With that, Robert began answering some of the more common concerns that had been raised at lunch and answering the questions that he raised while talking to the families. By the time the dinner hour came, he was getting hoarse, but most of the families were coming around to his way of thinking. The single biggest exception to that was Mr. Painter, who continued to be disdainful and rude. James had been soothed so many times by Tiffany, that Chimera was half expecting it to stop working, and James was about to boil over on to Mr. Painter. Tiffany took James somewhere during dinner, and when they came back, James was calm, even relaxed. Rose looked at him, and then at Tiffany.

_"Can you teach that trick to the rest of us?"_ she asked.

Tiffany blushed and stammered slightly as she answered the question, without meeting anyone's eyes. _"No, it's a Soulbond thing. We found the way to control the rapport, but along the way, we've found ways to intensify it as well."_ Chimera stared at the blushing girl, and then at James, who was lost in his thoughts.

"Right," said Emma firmly, "I think we're about to cross the TMI line."

Mercy was sitting next to them, and looked up at Emma spoken comment. "What is a TMI line?" she asked curiously.

Rose grinned at her. "TMI stands for Too Much Information."

Jerrick, sitting a couple of seats down, disagreed. "There's no such thing," he said, "it's all information, even if you don't have a purpose for it yet."

Sonya was sitting next to him, and leaned over and whispered something in his ear. Jerrick blinked, and turned to look at her. Sonya was eating, and determinedly not looking his way, as her cheeks burned red. Jerrick stared at her for a minute, and then he started blushing, an event watched with smiles. "I was wrong," he said quietly, as he turned bright red. "There is such a thing as too much information."

Quiet laughter from the Manticores that heard the exchange, and the linked ones that it was passed to met this admission from Jerrick.

After dinner, the family heads went back into the tent while Manticore and the rest of the family members were chatting. Manticore had known that it was going to happen, but they still watched the tent, wondering what was going on in there. The adults stayed in the tent until nearly midnight, and came very close to driving James mad until Rose and Tiffany distracted him by getting him to work on a charm to break the wards around the tent. He was still working on it when the adults came out, and he didn't stop, as he was in the middle of something crucial and time critical.

Robert had come over and was watching him. "What did you set him to doing? I had figured he'd be climbing the walls by now."

Rose blushed, and muttered something indistinct. Robert wasn't fooled for a minute. He knew as well as they did that they wouldn't lie outright, and that answer was just a way of avoiding the question. He looked at the things spread out around James as he worked and started identifying the things James was working with. It took him about three minutes to figure it out. "You set James to breaking the wards?"

Rose and Tiffany both blushed, but before they could answer Robert, James finished what he was doing and spoke up absently. "They thought it might keep me out of trouble, but I think they're going to be in trouble when you see this."

Robert looked down. "Please don't tell me you found a way to break my wards."

James looked up and grinned. "Not yet, but I did make a new thingie, trying to combine Muggle ideas with magic. It uses a Magicrystal as the base, and combines the recording capabilities of Lisa's crystal with flight. You remember that show we saw, about unmanned aerial reconnaissance planes? I was trying to create something like that, only one that could burrow underground, as your wards don't cover the floor. They prevent sound from leaving the tent, but do not prevent things from coming into the tent." He made a couple of more notes, as he continued to speak.

All of Chimera was used to James in creation mode, and watched him with a grin. "Anyway, I haven't quite got the burrowing down yet, but a simple twist on the same spell gave it a type of flight. It's only good for a couple of klicks, (Klick=Kilometer. Raven) but unlike Lisa's toy, you get sound and vision when it gets back, and during its flight you can tap it, but you can't record it, only watch what it sees." He frowned, as he inspected the 'thingie'. "Rose, remind me to take a couple of classes in aviation when I get a chance. This thing should be faster, but I don't know how to shape it properly."

Alexander had come out with Robert, and he was looking at the 'thingie' with interest. "James, are you saying that this thing can overfly a valley and send back real-time pictures?"

James looked up, still far away in his thoughts. "I believe that's what I just said."

Alexander looked sharply at him, but he recognized the signs of James creating as well as the others and dropped it. It didn't do any good to say anything to him when he was like this, if it didn't have to do with whatever he was working on, he simply didn't hear it. "How much is it going to cost, and how soon before I can get a couple?"

Rose grinned at Alexander. "Uncle, you know better than to ask James that question. The prices are my department."

Alexander muttered something that sounded like money hungry twerp, but Rose took no notice. She and James consulted about the thingie for a minute, and Rose took out a parchment. She began scribbling notes as Lisa watched.

Lisa smiled at Alexander sweetly. "I hope they pay you Rangers well."

Alexander frowned. "Not that well," he admitted, "why?"

"I've been watching them set prices for months now, and the more notes Rose makes the more an item costs."

Alexander looked at Rose, busily figuring out the cost of the thingie and watched her for a minute. "I hope she gives me a family discount." He said.

Rose didn't even look up. "Business is business, Family is family, and never the twain shall meet."

Robert grinned at his brother. "I'll float you a loan if you need it."

James looked up from his work. "Actually Rose, give him the first one for free."

Rose and Robert looked at James as if he'd suddenly grown another head.

James grinned at their expressions. "There will be a cost however, just not in money."

Robert sighed in relief. "I thought you'd blown a gasket for a minute."

James sighed in mock sorrow. "Father, please. Think about this. Uncle Alexander is a Ranger, and they have hundreds of miles of border to watch. With these things, they can stay in groups, and still watch the borders closer than if they were actually walking them. In fact, they could use enough of them to maintain 24 hour coverage across the entire border."

He looked at Alexander. "All you have to do, is use yours, and show it to any Ranger that asked." He looked thoughtful for a minute, and then grinned slyly. "If you use it on a really nasty night, when the rest of them are getting wet and cold walking the borders, we'll even work out a commission for Ranger sales."

Alexander sighed. "Robert, I detect your hand in this twisted young man's thinking."

Robert smiled at James and his brother. "Yes, he's going to make a great leader for Cumulus."

Rose frowned, and James felt the twitch in her emotions. _"Rose?"_

Rose didn't look up from the sheet she was writing on. _"If you live long enough to be a leader."_

James put his hand on Rose's shoulder. _"Even if I'm not alive, I'll still be there for you. None of us will pass on until the last of us do, remember?"_

_"Thanks, I can have a ghost peering over my shoulder for fifty years."_

_"Hey, you can always try the 'Polter-grip' on me, if I annoy you too much." _James was deliberately being silly, and Rose frowned at him.

"You know better than that." She said aloud, as she passed the sheet she'd been working on to him. "What do you think? Can we lower this?"

Robert and Alexander were used to them saying things that made no apparent sense, unless you knew that most of their conversations were silent, and ignored the comments they didn't understand. James was reading over the notes Rose had made and frowned thoughtfully. "Not really. Most of the cost is in the Magicrystals, and unless we can find a regular supply that isn't too expensive, we can't afford to lower that. We can save a bit in spellwork, if we start making them in large quantities, but that's about it."

Alexander grinned wryly. "If they're too costly, you're not going to get many Ranger sales."

Rose shrugged. "What is your security worth?" she quoted one of Alexander's favorite sayings.

James nodded. "Right, plus we might be able to work something out, in trade or payments. We could use some goodwill among the Rangers, and the rest of the Borderers."

They discussed the possibilities for a few more minutes and then most of the group headed off to bed, leaving James and Tiffany to themselves.

James smiled at Tiffany. _"My Lady, would you care to dance?"_

_"But of course."_ Tiffany and James got their Starblades, and took off, heading for the starlit sky. Both of them loved to fly, but between Manticore and Quidditch, they rarely got a chance to fly just for fun, and they took full advantage of this opportunity, swooping and diving through the night sky. They flew close enough to hold hands if they wished, tied together by the bond that allowed them to make any maneuver together. They didn't speak, not even as Chimera used the link, but spoke on a level they had not revealed to anyone, where they could not tell which of them had a thought, or which answered it.

The next two days saw the gradual conversion of almost all of the families, as Robert talked to them. The dedication of the Evans's, and the reputations of the other families involved helped a great deal, as did the Manticores themselves.

The Manticores were a big part of persuading the families. They were showing the affects of constant training and responsibility. They had an air about them that impressed people. Between known facts, the Prophecy and the Manticores themselves, by Wednesday only Mr. Painter still refused to allow his daughter to be a Manticore. Robert and Mary spent nearly two hours talking to him, but they could not sway him, and they came away from that meeting convinced that Andrea would be pulled from Manticore.

Rose was quiet about the whole thing, except to say that Andrea would be one of the Manticores, and to tell James to stay out of it. She talked to Tiffany, and made sure that Tiffany made him stay out of it.

Wednesday night, just after dinner, Andrea took her father into one of the small meeting tents, and they were in there for more than four hours. When they came out, the Painters left except for Andrea who would only say that she was a Manticore. James finally took her aside and wormed the story out of her. Andrea and her father had never gotten along very well, and Andrea had simply told him that she was going to do this. When he threatened to not pay for the last year of school, she reminded him that Manticore was paying for it anyway, and that by the time she left school, she would be of age. All he could do was prevent her from attending Hogwarts for a year, and that wouldn't matter, as she would be able to come back to Manticore after school.

Mr. Painter finally told her that she could not come home as long as she was a Manticore, and left with the rest of Andrea's family. James's response to that was to issue her an open invitation to stay with the Evans as long as she wanted.

Thursday, they presented all the Starblades to the Manticores and Wolfpack at a ceremony Chimera whipped up. The award of the Broomsticks were a sign that a person had graduated to full fledged Manticore, and would be awarded now at the end of your first year with Manticore.

The rest of that week and the next was fun and contests, and just plain relaxation, as Manticore threw off the stress of the summer and telling the families about their duty. Mary spent most of the time building a support network among the families, so that they could owl each other and reassure any one that started having doubts.

Using the new broomsticks, Manticore put on a display of aerial ability that had the crowd unsure whether to call for the Mediwizards or to cheer. That lasted until they saw James and Tiffany use the Soulbond to do one of their skydances, in a performance that made the team maneuvers look easy. Knowing exactly where the other person was, and being able to react as one made it possible for James and Tiffany to do things that the Manticores wouldn't even dream of doing.

The Thursday before the first day of school, (which was a Saturday this year) Manticore woke up to find Chimera already up, and with the UTS grins that meant something was going to happen. (UTS = Up To Something. Raven.)

Manticore immediately started checking everything they'd be using today for prank disks or signs of tampering while Chimera watched with amusement. After about an hour James finally found Mercy and Jerrick, who were leading the search. "You can stop looking. The prank was time delayed, and is already on everyone we wanted to catch with it."

Jerrick sighed and closed his eyes. "And just how many of us are going to get it?"

James pretended to think, while his smile grew into a grin. "Well, if it worked, and we set it right, only about…" he hesitated, pretending to count, before continuing. "Everyone."

Mercy looked at him severely. "If I turn into a purple ape again, you're going to regret it, James."

James looked injured. "Please give me more credit than that, I used that prank once already." He grinned again. "Besides, that prank is already in the Green Flower line, as 'Purple Primate' and using it isn't any fun. Anybody can do that one."

"So what are we going to turn into?" asked Jerrick.

"You'll find out." James promised. He frowned. "At least," he confessed, "I hope you do. This is kind of a difficult prank, and it might go a little wrong, if we screwed it up."

Mercy and Jerrick looked at each other, and then back at James. "How exactly can it go wrong?" asked Mercy suspiciously.

James thought about it long enough to make them both nervous. "Well, to be honest, I'm not sure. Worst case, we'll all be mindless bodies. Best case, we'll all just turn into the opposite gender."

Jerrick and Mercy considered that for a minute. "Are you telling me," asked Jerrick quietly, "That if you made a mistake with this prank, we're going to change sex or be vegetables?"

James nodded. "Yes, but there are a number of other things that could go wrong also. We could be turned inside out, or"

Mercy interrupted him. "No more. I'll just wait to see what happens." Jerrick agreed with her, and James wandered off to find Tiffany.

_"That was cruel, you know. We went over this prank a hundred times, and you and I both know that it's perfect." _Tiffany chided him.

_"I know, but I've always wanted to tell someone about all the things that could go wrong."_

_"What do you think your father is going to say about the Codex?" _Tiffany asked him.__

_"I don't know, but I really hope he agrees to tell the rest of Chimera. Hiding that thing will be very hard, considering that we're all going to be bound together for the rest of our lives."_

James had decided to ask his father to allow the other members of Chimera the chance to take the Ice Binding oath, and be told about the Draconian Codex. James was merely being pragmatic about it. Since the Chimera link would not be broken until the last Chimera died, and their spirits were freed to go wherever spirits went, James felt that they had a right to know about the Codex. "_In fact, Let's go find him and talk to him now."_

_"You go ahead. Since April is here, and we have discreet access to the medical shop, I wanted to get her help." _Tiffany blushed slightly, and then grinned at James. _"Unless you want to talk to her about it."_

James thought about discussing their possible sex life with a woman old enough to be his grandmother, and shook his head, smiling at Tiffany. _"No thanks. I'll let you do that, and I'll talk to father."_

The two of them separated, and went to speak to the people they needed to talk to. James's talk was the shorter of the two, as Robert had been expecting this conversation for a few months now, but all he would say was that he'd send James an owl in a few days with his decision.

Tiffany's conversation with April Erskine, the elderly Mediwitch that Melissa had gotten to help her document the Soulbond and other links was a lot longer, as the two of them were trying to find replacements for a number of gender based medicines. The Soulbond that allowed them to be so close had a couple of drawbacks, and one of them was that any potion or medicine that worked on a gender would make the other half of the Soulbond ill until it wore off. This included most forms of effective birth control, and that was becoming a problem for them.

James and Tiffany were thirteen by the calendar, but the aging of the Soulbond had them physically seventeen, and they were also experiencing the accelerated hormones of two people in love and lust. They had been snogging for nearly a year now, and it wasn't enough anymore. So far, James's pragmatism and Tiffany's common sense had stopped them from going too far, but neither of them was sure that was going to last much longer.

Tiffany came away from that talk still frustrated, as April was unable to suggest anything that would help, although she did promise to look into it.

The two of them rejoined the rest of Chimera to find the Manticores walking on pins and needles waiting for Chimera's prank to happen. Rose grinned at James as he and Tiffany walked up, hand in hand. _"I think the prank is going to be an anti-climax after all the time they've spent waiting for it."_

_"Maybe, but we all put some good work into this one. If nothing else, it should sell well."_ James said, watching the Manticores, who were starting to gather in small groups while keeping an eye on Chimera. James smiled to himself_. "I think our friends are plotting some revenge."_

_"No, really?"_ Rose's sending was thick with sarcasm.

_"I hope they come up with something good."_ James grinned as he watched Sonya, Mercy and Jerrick huddling together and whispering. _"I would hate to be pranked by something we created, or that can be bought at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes."_

_"You just want to use it as a Green Flower prank if it's any good." _said Emma.

James shrugged, and grinned at her. _"Hey, we've got all these Starblades to pay for, so I'll be glad to take any decent prank they come up with."_

Tiffany watched the three plotters for and minute and then turned to Lisa. _"Did you get the list of First Year students from Professor Dumbledore yet?"_

_"Yes, Jerrick has it, he's starting more of his files."_

Tiffany grinned at the thought of Jerrick's files. Most of Manticores knew he had a file on all of them, and some of them knew he had a file on every person in Hogwarts. Very few knew that Jerrick had one of those files for every thing that could think in Hogwarts, from the ghosts to the Sorting Hat. _"Anybody interesting on the list this year?"_

_"Only in personal ways." _Lisa's tone was sour, and the rest of Chimeraturned to look at her. She sighed, and continued after a few seconds. _"One of the Firsts is Draco Malfoy Jr., and he's growing up to be our father's clone."_

James turned from watching the Manticores. _"Clone in manners, or looks?"_

_"Both. Father dotes on the little git, and spoils him rotten. He's a perfect Slytherin."_

James swore silently. He thought for a minute, considering that. The Malfoys had never come to the family weeks, and Lisa had not pushed it. Since nobody trusted Draco, they were just as happy to have him absent for this week. _"Pass the word, I don't want anyone even hinting to him that Manticore is anything but an educational group until I've checked him out, and Rose and Melissa pass him."_ James rubbed his temples, as he felt the beginnings of a headache, and Tiffany moved closer, rubbing the tight muscles across his shoulders. _"Anyone else of interest?"_

_"Yes, actually,"_ Lisa smiled as she pushed the family problems away. _"Tiffany's younger brother and sister start this year, and there's a name you know starting this year."_

James looked confused. _"Someone I know? From America?"_

_"No, She's an Irish girl, named Raven Wood, daughter of Sean Wood."_ Lisa was watching for James's reaction, and he didn't disappoint her.

James blinked, and then smiled widely. _"Please tell me you're talking about the Sean Wood, Stuntman and all around awesome special effects man?"_

_"I believe he does something for Muggle movies, yes."_

Sean Wood was well known in both the Wizard and Muggle worlds. Exactly how a Wizard had become a Muggle movie stuntman had never been explained, although most Wizards thought it was because Sean Wood was a Muggle born Wizard. However it happened, most Wizards considered him eccentric, and the Muggles that watched his stunts and special effects considered Sean Wood a genius. James had first seen one of his stunts four years earlier, and thought he was the best stuntman ever. Sean Wood had admitted to the Wizard tabloid Magical Mayhem that he did use magic for some of the stunts, and defied anyone to point out which of his stunts were magical in nature and which were simply Muggle FX techniques. After he heard about that, James had collected every movie Sean Wood had been a part of, and spent hours going over them, trying to decide which were stunts, and which were magic.

James pushed the thought of meeting his idol away with difficulty, and came back to the subject at hand. _"Anybody else?"_

_"No, those are all the people we know." _Lisa said after a minute's thought.

Chimera chatted for a few more minutes, until the signal for lunch was given, and they headed for the tables. They sat down and started eating, watching the others out of the corner of their eyes, waiting for their prank to take affect. They had been eating for about five minutes when the prank went off. The Manticores were sitting with their families, and talking when suddenly, nobody could understand a single word being spoken around the tables, because everyone could hear everything that was being said. There were more than two hundred people talking, and everyone could hear everything that was being said, as if the person that said it was sitting right next to them.

That would not be a big deal, if only one or two people were talking, but with a group this size it was babble, noise that you couldn't make any sense of. Chimera was expecting the noise, and watched with amusement as people who couldn't talk over links tried to make themselves understood.

Emma watched it for a minute and turned to James. _"It's ok, but not really that funny. Are you going to market this one?"_

James was making notes, and answered her absently. _"Not as is, but with a tweak or two we might. Mostly, I wanted to know if it was possible, without letting anyone know what I'm really after. This spell takes everything said within a certain distance of it, and broadcasts it to everyone within range. With a little work, I'll be able to make a Magicrystal like Lisa's that can pick up what one person is saying, and hear it, without them knowing I'm listening to them."_

Hangeld frowned. _"It's not really nice to spy on people like that."_

_"Maybe not," _said James mildly, _"But since I'm planning on using it against the Patient Child's people, I'm not all that concerned about their feelings."_

The spell ended just then, and Mercy looked at James. "I see we didn't do any of those things you were talking about earlier."

James grinned at her. "Of course not. Did you really think I'd take a chance on hurting any of you?"

Mercy smiled, and there was an edge to her smile that set alarm bells off in James's head, but before he could do anything, Jerrick cast a spell.

"Commuto sexus." An instant after Jerrick finished the spell, while James was still translating the Latin in his head, the tables exploded in laughter. James finished the translation and groaned.

"I suppose," he said resignedly, "that I did give you the idea for this one." He looked down at himself, and his first thought was typically male. _"I've got big tits."_

James had turned into an older version of Rose, and he was suddenly glad he was wearing his school robes and not the Manticore uniform, since his new chest would not have fit in his uniform. He looked at himself for a minute and sighed.

Rose was staring at James and not even trying to hide her laughter. _"Sister mine, I believe you should get a bra."_

_"Now there's an approach we never thought of, James." _Tiffany wasn't laughing aloud at James, but James could feel her amusement. _"Gender based medicines wouldn't bother you now."_

James looked at all the laughing people and turned to Jerrick. "How long does this last?"

Jerrick shrugged. "Mum wasn't certain, but not more than an hour or so."

James and Rose suddenly stopped what they were doing, and looked at each other. Tiffany listened to what James was saying to Rose for a minute, and she got the absent expression that meant she was joining their discussion. The three of them pulled back a bit, and began making notes on a sheet of parchment that Rose pulled from her robes. James looked up again at Jerrick. "I want that spell. You will teach it to me this week."

The Manticores recognized the looks the three of them had, and Mercy groaned. "Jerrick, what have we done?"

Jerrick was rubbing his temples. I don't even want to think of all the things those three can do with that spell." he confessed.

Mary Evans was sitting next to the twins, and she reached over and grabbed James. "Have you forgotten the rules? We have guests at the table."

James and Rose blushed and scooted back to the table. Emma looked at Mary "Rules?"

Mary smiled at her children. "After James and Rose started making the pranks and selling them to their friends, we had to make up some rules, since they would drop anything to work on a new idea, no matter what we were doing."

Robert smiled. "Including during business dinners, in the street, movie theaters and anywhere else." He thought for a minute and grinned suddenly. "It actually got better after they stopped talking out loud to each other, because the old way confused everyone that didn't know them well. They used to talk to each in one or two word sentences."

The Manticores that were sitting around the tables close enough to hear the conversation smiled, being very familiar with the way the twins would say just a word or two and understand each other, while everyone around them was hopelessly confused.

Jerrick and Mercy were frowning at James. "Why aren't you reacting to this?" demanded Mercy.

James looked at her, and raised one eyebrow at her. "Excuse me," he said mildly, "But you do remember that I'm Soulbonded to a girl, right?"

Mercy looked blank for a minute and then put her head down. "You're used to feeling the differences between men and women."

James smiled smugly at them. "Good spell, but you need to use it on somebody that doesn't have a woman in his head all the time."

Melissa was watching him, and she had that expression on her face. The one that meant she had questions for her project. _"James, did this affect the bond at all? Did it change the way you look at Tiffany? Do you still want to snog her?"_

Tiffany blinked and looked at Melissa. _"It hasn't affected the bond at all, but I'd prefer that he waited until he resumed his normal shape to snog me, as I like the way he feels."_

_"I would still like to snog her, but I can also tell that she doesn't want to snog a woman, so I'll wait."_

Before Melissa could ask any more questions, James reverted to his normal form. Athena Clearwater frowned at him. "It's never been this short before. Usually, it lasts at least thirty minutes."

Melissa was scribbling in her notebook and answered her absently. "It's a side affect of the Soulbond I think. Short term potions and spells don't last very long on either of them."

James and Tiffany looked at each other and then at Melissa. James frowned slightly. _"You never mentioned this before."_

_"I wasn't positive, and only began suspecting during this last summer. I wasn't going to say anything until I was sure I had data to prove my theory." _Melissa finished her notes and put the notepad away.

Friday, the Manticores got the books and other things they would need for school, and packed their trunks for transport to the school. When they were done with that, they said goodbye to their families and saw them off. James gathered all the Manticores in the big tent for a meeting.

He stood on the podium and looked out at his people. "You all did great work this summer, and I'm proud of every one of you. Now, I need to know if any of you have questions or comments about training or the coming year."

Robert House stood up. "I have one thing, and it's minor, but something I've been thinking about for a while. Between school and training, some of us need to be able to go into town, to buy things you can't get by owl or that just need to be bought in person."

James blinked, and was about to ask him to clarify that when Rose and Tiffany spoke in his head. _"James, he's talking about things like underwear, bras and such for the girls, and gifts for the other half of couples."_

_"Brother mine, some of the Manticores have been talking about this, but I forgot to mention it to you." _Rose was apologetic_._

James thought about it, and nodded. "My fault," he said, "I've been making the things I give Tiffany, and the other never occurred to me. I'll talk to Professor Dumbledore and see what we can arrange." He thought a minute longer and smiled. "In fact, there's no real reason we have to have the family week in Hogsmeade every year anyway."

The rest of the meeting was a review of what they could and couldn't say around the other students as nobody had any real problems other than that one.

Saturday the Manticores woke to a surprise. James called all the team leaders into a meeting and gave them each a small pouch. "It's not much, but it was short notice. Divide that among your teams, and take the day in Hogsmeade. You are responsible for making sure your teams get to the meeting point for the trip to Hogwarts by 1630."

Mercy was examining the pouch she'd gotten for the Mediwizards. "This feels awfully heavy for not much. What's in here?"

James shrugged. "A few Galleons for your team to spend. Since this is the last chance some of them will have to get things for themselves, I made sure they had enough to last them a while."

Tiffany was rolling her eyes again.

Jerrick looked at her, and weighed the pouch for the Intel people. "James, just what do you consider not much?"

Rose was the one that answered him. "It's only five Galleons. Like James said, it was short notice, and we didn't have much to work with. It'll be more next time."

Conor McCloud shrugged, and then frowned. "Math is nae my strong point. How many Sickles do six people get out of five Galleons?"

James and Rose looked confused for a minute while Tiffany started giggling. Then Rose figured out what he meant. "No, not five Galleons for the team, five Galleons each."

Conor blinked and looked at his bag, and the other bags. "Are you saying that you found three hundred Galleons overnight?"

Tiffany was still snickering at the team leader's expressions. "Conor, just drop it. They have entirely different concepts of money than we do."

James and Rose looked at each other. James shrugged and turned back to the team leaders. "Remember, everyone is to be back by 1630, or you had better have a very good reason why they aren't."

Manticore spent the day relaxing and getting all the little things that made school easier. Chocolate Frogs and Sugar Quills were favorites, although somebody apparently bought some things at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, because Emma and Hangeld saw a "Purple Primate" walking around. Adam and Lisa had left, saying they wanted to get something, and Emma and Hangeld had disappeared without a word a bit later, leaving Rose and Melissa with James and Tiffany.

That lasted until James convinced Tiffany to try on some lingerie, which made Rose and Melissa disappear as well.

At 1630, James checked on his people, and everyone was back. Along with the Manticores were some of the other students and a few first years. James looked them over. _"Rose, do we know what Raven Wood looks like?"_

_"I don't," _she said, as she checked with Melissa, _"and neither does Melissa. You'll just have to wait until tomorrow to start asking her about her father's stunts." _James grinned at her, even as he blushed.

The older students were taken to the school while the First Years waited for Hagrid and the trip across the lake. The main hall was the same as always, and Manticore took their regular seats at the end of their respective tables and waited for the First Years to make their entrance. A few minutes later, they came in and the Sorting began.

Rose and Melissa were examining them, looking for potential Manticores with Rose's Sight and Melissa's Empathy, but they didn't see anything until "Drone, Ander" was sorted into Hufflepuff. _"Brother mine, he'll be a good Phoenix."_ James nodded, marking the face, and passing a 'watch him' hand sign to the Hufflepuff Team leader.

The next possible Manticore was "Hellen Pendragon", and the vibrant young woman went to Gryffindor.

Draco Malfoy Jr. was the next person to trigger a response in Rose, and the response was not good. _"James, Draco has no futures."_

_"What?" _asked James as the Sorting Hat pronounced Draco a Slytherin.

Rose was searching for Draco in all the future paths she could find. _"None of his paths continue past the start of the war. I can't find him anywhere after that."_

James frowned as he thought about that. The only way that your paths would stop was if you were dead, and Draco was a bit young to be dying of natural causes.

_"Rose, is he with us, or against us at the start?"_

_"Neither in some, against us in most, and with us in very few. In the ones where he's against us, his paths meet with Lisa's and yours a lot, and one or more of them end at that meeting."_

James forced down the anger that the thought of Lisa getting hurt caused and forced himself to consider the problem logically. _"We can't do anything tonight, so watch the others, and we'll figure out what to do with Draco later."_

It wasn't Rose or Melissa that spotted the next person of interest, but Adam._ "James, I thought you said Muggle things wouldn't work here."_

_"They don't" _said a puzzled James,_ "Something about magic interferes with most Muggle things, and the wards block the rest of it. Why do you ask?"_

_"Because one of the Firsts is wearing blue Twinkle Toes sneakers, and they're still flashing." _explained Adam.

Chimera turned to look at Adam. Adam looked at their blank looks, and smiled. _"This is so perfect. I've lost track of the number of times I've had that expression about some Wizard thing." _

James grinned at him. "_OK, you've found something we don't know about. We told you about the Wizard things, now fill us in on this."_

_"It's a new fad," _Adam said, looking at the crowd of First Years still waiting to be sorted_, "Little battery powered lights in the heel and toe of your sneakers that flash when you walk."_

James thought about it for a minute. _"Adam, do you mean those little LED type lights?"_ At Adam's nod of assent, James frowned. "_Are you certain that it's not a spell that duplicates the shoes? Electronic things like that are easily destroyed in magical places."_

_"I just saw them for a minute, but it looks exactly the same. I suppose it could be magical." _said Adam dubiously.

James was watching the people being sorted. "_Let me know if you see the person with them again."_

_"James, Both the Potter twins would be good for us." _James felt Tiffany's mingled concern and pride in her younger siblings, as Rose announced their suitability for Manticore.

_"There she is, James. Look at her feet." _Adam suddenly announced.

Chimera looked at the young girl who had started moving when Professor McGonagall had called for "Spence, Stephanie", and her feet were indeed flashing blue every time she took a step. She sat down and was quickly sorted in to the Ravenclaw house. None of the Chimeras could tell if it was a magical or Muggle effect, and James was not overly surprised when Rose and Melissa announced she could be a Manticore. He whispered something into the Manticore ring, speaking privately to Jerrick.

As he was doing that, a wave of laughter swept the hall, and he looked up at the arrogant looking kid that had just been sorted into Slytherin. James grinned at the sight. Whoever the boy was, he now had an electric blue hair color that clashed rather badly with his sallow complexion and dark eyes.

Rose sent James a mental grin. _"Brother mine, it appears that Kimberly Wood will be good for Manticore in more than one way. She did that little stunt, and I wouldn't have caught it if I wasn't looking at her paths."_

_"Raven, Sister mine. Her given name might be Kimberly, but even her father calls her Raven." _James watched with interest as Kimberly "Call me Raven" Wood was sorted into the Ravenclaws.

Two more students, both going to Slytherin, had their hair turn bright blue as they took the Sorting Hat off, which set the Evans twins to trying to figure out how she timed that just right, or how she set the prank in the first place.

When the Sorting was finished, the Headmaster stood up. "Welcome to Hogwarts. I have a few things to say before we eat. First, the Forbidden Forest is off limits to all students. Mr. Filch has once again added a number of items to the list of contraband, and has further requested that whomever is leaving magical pranks, specifically the 'Green Flower' line of disks all over the school pick them up after you're done with them." James and Rose put on their best innocent faces as every Second Year and older student turned to look at them. Professor Dumbledore continued when he had everyone's attention again. "The entire list of forbidden items can be found posted on the wall outside of his office." Albus paused, and looked at the Gryffindor table. "There will be two special events this year. First, there will be a Yule Ball, for the third year and older students. The second is a special Quidditch Match, one week before the end of school. This is the first trial of what may become a tradition. The best Hogwarts team will be playing against the Beauxbatons team."

The light murmur that had started at the mention of a dance swept over the Hall. James was swearing under his breath, and Emma looked at him in confusion. _"What's wrong with that? It will be fun to play against somebody we've never played against."_

_"True, that would be fun," James_ said_, "if no press people show up. Here at school, everyone knows we're a bit different, and any stories they tell outside of school are merely hearsay, and discounted further because they are children. That will change if a number of adults observe us using the links and talents."_

Albus Dumbledore had not missed the expression on James's face, and he continued to watch the Gryffindor table as he continued. "If this first match is successful, the following year, there will be another match, hosted by Beauxbatons, and will have representatives from other schools, including the Durmstrang Institute, the Shigimoto School and the North American School of Wizardry."

James's eyes went flat, but the only thing he said was to Chimera. _"If anyone thinks I'm going to help beat my country's team, they're out of their freaking minds."_

While James was not blatant about it, he was deeply patriotic, and even though none of the American Quidditch teams had played in the Cup finals in more than forty years, he continued to follow them faithfully. Alexander Evans had taught the twins a deep respect for their country, and James had taken it as deeply to heart as he did everything else he did.

Rose was not as blunt about it, but she also had reservations about playing against the American team.

Albus Dumbledore saw the looks that the rest of Chimera was wearing, and sighed slightly as he finished his remarks and the feast began. He knew James as well as anyone in the school except Rose and Tiffany, and he was quite certain there was going to be trouble over this latest Ministry project. The basic idea, that of exposing the various Schools and students to their counterparts from other parts of the world was good. Professor Dumbledore would have been in favor of the project at any other time, but trying to keep Manticore concealed changed things. He smiled slightly at the irony of the timing. It had been the more than generous contributions of Cumulus, supporting the Manticores that had made the Quidditch matches possible, but having the Manticores at his school made this a bad time to have reporters running around the school.

Professor Dumbledore had realized that if any adults not involved with Manticore saw the Manticores, some of them were bound to figure out that something strange was going on. He looked out over the tables, finding the Manticores easily. Not only did they sit slightly apart from the other students, but also they had an air about them, the result of knowledge and discipline that most youngsters didn't have. That and the physical condition of the Manticores set them apart from the other students, and any adult who saw them all for more than a few minutes would see it.

Albus Dumbledore frowned as he thought about the potential consequences of anyone discovering Manticore before Robert and James were ready to 'go public' as James called it. The headmaster wasn't sure what plans the Evans had in that event, but he was quite certain that they had something ready, and he was equally certain that it would not be a good thing for the unfortunate person that those plans fell on.

James, Rose and Tiffany held a long conversation during dinner, barely noticing the food and the people around them. Chimera could feel them talking on their separate links, but the only thing they could tell about the argument, was that James was determined to do something that neither of the girls liked.

After the feast was over, James and Tiffany were on their way to Manticore Hall when their rings sounded. _"I need a Mediwizard at the base of the Northeast Tower. Emily's been hurt."_

James and Tiffany looked at each other for a second, and started back down the stairs as fast as they could go. When they arrived at the ground floor of the Northeast tower, they found Melissa and Rose already there, with Rose cradling Emily's head and Melissa using her healing talent on her.

_"How is she?" _Rose looked up at James's anxious tone, and answered him for Melissa. _"She'll be fine, she's just had a nasty fall, and knocked herself out."_

James blinked and looked around. The floor was flat and dry, and looking up, he couldn't see where she might have fallen from. _"_How did she have a fall here? There's nothing to fall from."__

"She fell from the second floor stairs."James turned to look at Teun Redstone, and then at the stairs.

"How did she end up here, falling from there?"

"She started up them just after dinner." was all Teun said, and James took a second to think about that one.

Suddenly he remembered something. _"_Those stairs," he said, "start moving just after dinner. Are you trying to tell me she fell off a moving staircase?"

Teun nodded. "I was on the first floor, and saw her fall. She had this in her hands." With that comment, she held up a book. "What she found in 'Hogwarts, A History' that was so interesting that she didn't notice the stairs moving is beyond me, but she was still holding it when I got to her."

James rubbed his temples as he remembered Emily talking about some sort of hidden room, but before he could say anything, a new voice entered the conversation. "Where's my book? Did it get damaged?" asked a faintly groggy Emily.

Manticore had heard the call on the rings, and they had been gathering while James talked to Teun. Emily's next question was directed at the disbelieving stares that thirty or so people were directing at her. "What did I say?"

James handed her the book silently and watched as she checked it for tears. "Emily, if you showed that kind of dedication to a team, I'd create a new team for you, and you'd be team leader in a week."

Emily looked at him and frowned. "James, what are you talking about?"

James just asked Melissa if she was going to be ok, and grinned at Melissa's rather pointed response. "Only if she pulls her nose out of her book long enough to look around once in awhile."

A couple of the other Ravenclaws took Emily, who was beginning to fell the tiredness that was an effect of being Healed back to Ravenclaw, while James dispersed the rest of the Manticores.

Ron Stone was staring after the Ravenclaws. "If that girl happened to die in the middle of reading a book, she'd pull a Professor Binks, and rise as a ghost just to finish the book."

The Manticores that heard that statement laughed, but had to agree with it. Rose and Emma helped Melissa off to bed, and James and Tiffany went up to Manticore Hall to relax. James and Tiffany Sat down on their couch and cuddled up close. They sank into the close bonding that they had not even told Rose or Melissa about, where their thoughts were as one, and luxuriated in the feel of each other, just enjoying the touch of body and mind until James yawned, breaking the bond.

_"Bedtime I think, Greeneyes."_

_"Can't we just sleep here?" _asked a sleepy Tiffany.

James looked down, into the half open green eyes that looked up at him from her position on his chest and smiled gently. _"We could, but you do remember what happened last time we fell asleep together."_

_"Of course I do, and it was quite_ _nice." _Tiffany smiled sleepily, and moved up to kiss James. James responded willingly, but then moved back.

_"Lover, I'm not sure my self control is up to that tonight."_

Tiffany considered the rising tide of emotions in James and sighed. They got up from the couch, and walked slowly to the Gryffindor entrance hand in hand. For an hour or so, they had pushed everything else away, and just been a couple in love. Those hours were about to become increasingly rare, because the storm clouds of the future were about to start breaking over the Manticores.


	22. The Book of Life

The Book of Life

Since the first fell on a Saturday this year, James had given Manticore a playday on Sunday. Most of Manticore ended up in the Hall anyway, as the day was wet and cold enough to keep even the most ardent Quidditch players inside. Most of the Chimeras were not at their table today, because James and Rose were doing the accounts for the Green Flower co and the Jade Lily. As the Jade Lily consisted of just one house, those books were easy to keep. The Green Flower on the other hand, was an entirely different matter. Going through those accounts was enough to make even Rose irritable and what James thought of it, he usually expressed in four letter words.

This year, they had gotten Lisa to help, and she was the one that noted something odd. "_Rose,"_ she said, looking at several pieces of paper from Gringotts, "_Why_ _do you and James have four vaults at Gringotts?"_

James and Rose looked at her blankly. "_What?"_ said Rose, as she tried to remember why they would have four vaults.

Lisa consulted the papers again. "_You have one, in America that was opened the year you were born."_

James nodded. "_That's the family account, where we get our allowance."_

Lisa nodded and checked that one off. "_You also have the Green Flower vault, and the Jade Lily's vault."_

Rose nodded this time. "_Right, it's easier to keep track of that way."_

Lisa checked those two off as well, and then held up the last sheet. _"You also have one more, opened in Diagon Alley about two weeks before we started at Hogwarts."_

James and Rose looked at each other. "_Rose?"_ said James.

She shrugged, and tried to think back. _"We came and did the tourist thing, met with Professor Dumbledore and the rest…._" Her voice trailed off as both of them remembered the day they had met Lisa for the first time. They had met her in a bookstore, to keep her father from finding out about the Prophecy, and after they had talked to Lisa, they had browsed through the store. In a box in the back, they had found a book with the Evans family code on the spine. The storekeeper had claimed that Elric and Cassandra Evans had left the book seventy years earlier, and described the twins as the ones that would buy it. Since that was seven hundred and thirty years or so after those two died, that was impossible. Yet, they had the book.

Tiffany was looking at James's memories. "_James, I can read what you remember of the third page."_

James looked at her. _"Did you know about the book?"_

Tiffany shook her head. _"Not until now, when you and Rose started thinking about it."_

James looked at Rose. _"Sister mine, how did we forget that book?"_

Rose raised an eyebrow at him. _"You tell me how two people dead more than seven hundred years could give the store keeper an accurate description of us before our parents were born, and I'll explain the forgetting part,"_ she parried.

James grinned at her, then sobered suddenly. "_Rose, as I recall now, there was one page you could read, and then a page I could read, and then six pages neither of us could read. If Tiffany can read that third page, would you care to bet that the rest of Chimera could read the other pages?"_

Rose smiled wryly. _"Sure, I'll bet you that they can read them. However, I'm not crazy enough to take the other side of that bet."_ Rose blinked at a sudden flash of anger from James. _"James?"_

_"Not you Flower child. I just have the feeling that we're playing to a script and an audience. I'd like to ask the director some questions." _James thought for a minute. _"Either that, or punch him in the nose. I hate being played like a trout on a line."_

_James, do me a favor will you?"_ requested Tiffany dryly. _"Before you attack something that can bring the dead back, create magic books for people that haven't been born yet, and see the future clearly enough to describe you two sixty years before you were born, let me make out my will."_

Rose agreed with her. _"And that's even if it has anything resembling a nose."_

James looked at them and smiled. They felt the amusement bubbling up in him, and Tiffany put her hand over his mouth. _"If you say Calculated Risk, I'll do that thing twice tonight."_ James shuddered and put his hands up in surrender.

Rose was staring at James. _"How do you get a calculated risk out of that anyway?"_

James raised an eyebrow at her. _"Fairly easily actually. If we are the lead actors in the Prophecy play something is putting on, it needs us for the climax of the story. So it can't do anything too drastic to me before then."_

Tiffany and Rose stared at him. _"Rose, does insanity run in your family, or is James the first?"_

The rest of Chimera had been listening to the discussion over the link, and had drifted back to the table. Emma spoke up. _"What do you remember about the book?"_

James and Rose thought, and used the twinbond to talk for a few minutes while Chimera waited. Finally, James looked up at them. _"Not a lot really. It's as if something is clouding our memories of it. It spoke of something called the Heart of the World and a spell to do something with life, and the willing acceptance of duty."_

Rose was staring at Hangeld, who had jerked and sat up when James mentioned the Heart of the World. He saw her staring at him, and answered the unasked question. _"I know of the Heart of the World. It's a place where a piece of bedrock reaches from the middle of the earth to the surface in one piece. On the surface, it's a monolith ten meters high and five meters across."_

Hangeld sighed and looked at James. _"There is one small problem though. It's never in the same place for more than four days. It can appear anywhere on the face of the earth, and as far as anyone can tell, where it appears is completely random."_

James considered that. _"Interesting problem in logistics for anyone else, but we have Rose. We can figure it out."_

Hangeld shook his head. _"I hate to burst your bubble James, but nobody has ever been able to predict the Heart. It's the living representative of the Earth Elemental mages for the giants, and they've spent centuries studying it, and they still can't predict it."_

Lisa stopped the discussion at that point. _"That's all well and nice, but why don't we see if we can even use the book before we start worrying about where to use it at?"_

_"Lisa's right. We'll ask Professor Dumbledore if he has a trusted messenger that is going to Diagon Alley. We have to talk to him about this year and the first years anyway."_ Rose said; dismissing the problem in favor of something she could do something about.

James nodded unwillingly. He shook it off and concentrated on the new topic. _"Still no changes from last night?"_

_"None, there are still those two Ravenclaws, three Gryffindors, and the two Hufflepuffs. And Draco Jr. of course,"_ said Melissa quietly.

Lisa winced at the mention of her brother. _"Rose, are you certain there's nothing we can do?"_ Rose sighed, but dropped into the deep trance that allowed the clearest view of the future, and examined Draco Malfoy Jr.'s future paths as well as she could. She spent nearly ten minutes looking down every one of his paths that she could find.

She came out of the trance and looked at Lisa. _"I'm sorry. He just doesn't have any paths that continue past the start of the war."_ Lisa winced, and closed her eyes. Rose had been looking for new Manticores at the sorting when Draco had been sorted, and as far as she could see, no path of his was longer than the start of the war.

James frowned, and spoke quietly. _"Rose, you and Melissa are responsible for making sure he's one of us at the start of the war."_

It took a minute for the implications of that to hit the rest of Chimera, and Lisa was the first to speak. _"You're going to use him until he dies."_

The tidal wave of emotion that this comment drew from James caught all of them by surprise. Angerselfhatebitterness and a soul deep pain and fear washed over them, making Melissa gasp and causing all of them to freeze. James controlled it after a split-second and looked at them. _"You're right, I am, just like I'm using all of you and Manticore. I'm going to make sure that his death means something to Lisa at least, and that he doesn't end up like his father. I'm also going to use those first years from last night and anyone else that joins us, because I happen to think it might help me beat the Patient Child."_

James stood up and Tiffany stood up with him. They headed for the door as James continued. _"If this war is anything like the last one, by the end of it, sixty percent of Manticore will be dead, crippled for life or otherwise disfigured. By the time this thing is over, I'm going to have a river of blood on my hands, and that isn't even counting the Patient Child's people."_ James paused at the door, and looked back. _"I will do this, but that doesn't mean I have to like it, or the fact that I know some of them will die because I asked them to, or the fact that the woman I love will die decades before she should."_

Five faces looked at Rose as the Soulbonded couple went out, and Rose sighed staring after her brother. She spoke quietly; using words as the linked rarely did with each other. "You all know that James can be obsessive, driven and stubborn, but none of you have seen his other side, because he thinks it's a weakness in a fighting leader. He can also be compassionate, gentle and caring. Watch him sometime with the animals in Hagrid's class."

"I don't have to," said Hangeld quietly. "Father said that James is one of the few people he'd trust to take care of his pets if he had to be gone." He smiled faintly. "Considering that I was four before I figured out that Fluffy and Buckbeak weren't just oddly shaped brothers, that's saying something."

Lisa was only one that was not surprised, but she had information the rest didn't, and she was about to say something when somebody else beat her to it.

"Not to mention his actions in saving Miss Riddle, and taking Mr. Fudge under his care." They all jerked at the new voice. They had been so involved in their talk that they had not seen the Headmaster approach. "I take it that Mr. Evans has done something. I saw him and Miss Potter descending the stairs and looking like they would rather not talk right now, so I came up here to talk to you about the first years."

Rose was consulting with James, and stopped with a sigh. _"James says we can take care of it."_

Hangeld pulled up the chair reserved for the Headmaster on his rare visits to the Hall, and Professor Dumbledore took a minute to look around. The hall had not changed much since the last time he'd been up here, although the sign on the door to the lab was new. He read it with amusement. "Caution: Proceeding past this point can be hazardous to your shape." He had just finished reading it when the door opened, and Emily Kitchen came out with her nose buried deep in another book. She crossed over to a new table in the corner and poured a cup of something, without even looking up from the book, which the Professor recognized as one of the Pendragon spellbooks. He frowned. "I thought those weren't supposed to leave the lab library."

Lisa looked over where he was staring and sighed. "We had to alter the wards to allow them out here. Emily has become addicted to coffee, and she set the wards off so many times walking out here to get a cup, that some of the more emotional Manticores were threatening to turn her into a blind mole."

Rose groaned. "That girl. Did you hear about her accident yet?" she asked the Headmaster.

Professor Dumbledore looked up, his eyes suddenly sharp. "Accident?" he inquired mildly.

Rose smiled. "She was on the northeast tower stairs, just after dinner, and was reading while she walked."

Professor Dumbledore frowned. "I believe," he said, "that those stairs are moving right after the dinner hour."

"They are," said Emma, "and Emily was so involved in her book, she didn't even notice."

Professor Dumbledore stared at them. "Are you saying that she walked off a moving staircase?"

"Aye," rumbled Hangeld in his deep voice. "After Melissa and another of the Manticore Mediwizards healed her, her first comment was about her book."

"James said if she could show that kind of concentration in training, she'd be a team leader in a week," added Lisa with a grin. "Even if he had to make her a Team from scratch."

"I think," said the Headmaster calmly, "that Manticore has quite enough teams now." As a sudden thought occurred to him, he looked at Melissa. "How many injuries have you healed without telling the staff?"

Melissa blushed. "A few. You know once the Healing talent emerges, the Healer has to use it, and most of the Manticores come to me for minor things. Mostly the sprains and injuries that are the result of PT."

Professor Dumbledore understood that. With any sort of intensive physical training, there were going to be a few injuries. He had also caught the modifier Melissa had used. "Mostly?" he asked gently.

"There may have been a few more serious accidents, and a couple of minor injuries that people didn't want to call to the staff's attention." Melissa said, staring intently at the ceiling, not meeting the Headmaster's eyes.

The Headmaster nodded, as something that had been a mild puzzle last year fell into place. "Mercy and the others have been using their skills for the last year or so, and you're helping them." That was a statement, not a question, and Melissa didn't say anything, but the deepening red of her face told the Headmaster everything he needed to know. He had wondered at the lack of injuries among the students last year. Every year, there were those people that tried something they shouldn't be doing, or got involved in something hazardous, but last year there had been a remarkable lack of that sort of thing.

He looked at Melissa until she sighed and met his eyes. "I've given them a copy of the Xavier spellbooks, and they need practice. I have been watching over them."

Professor Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. The Xavier spellbooks had no equal when it came to healing spells and knowledge. "What about those spells?" he asked, referring to the spells that could burn out the talent that made a person a Wizard or Witch.

Melissa looked at him calmly. Looking around, she opened her robes enough to show the headmaster a small book, hanging under her shirt. "There is only one copy of those spells at the school, and I have them with me at all times, except when I can't hide them, and then they go in Rose's chest, in that part of it."

"You haven't let James read those have you?" asked the Headmaster.

Melissa blinked. "No, and I made Tiffany extract a promise from him that he wouldn't try without my permission. Which he might get, three weeks after the sun rises in the west."

The Headmaster frowned at her vehemence. "Are they that dangerous?"

Melissa frowned, and bit her lip. "Yes and no. Most of it is a block on the magic. There is one part though, where you have to work in the brain. You know that most Muggles use about ten percent of their brain. Wizards have another part that controls the use of their magic, and part of the spell involves severing the synapses that go to that part of the brain." She hesitated, looking for the right words, and then continued. "The target area is very small and very close to the part of the brain that controls automatic reflexes, breathing, swallowing and that sort of thing. If you make a tiny mistake, you can destroy those synapses by accident, and that would be bad." Melissa had assumed the lecturing tone that she used when explaining a new spell to the Phoenix Mediwizards, and Professor Dumbledore noted she was a very good teacher for her age. "If you do that, the patient will have to consciously think about breathing for the rest of his or her life, along with every other automatic function of the body. Since that is not possible, as everyone has to sleep sometime, the only way for them to live would be to go to the Muggles and be put on machines in full life support."

The Headmaster thought about that, and looked at Melissa again. "Do you know the spell?"

Melissa shook her head slowly. "No, and I won't learn it either, unless I have to."

"Do you mind if I ask why not?" Professor Dumbledore asked, curious as the reason behind her decision.

"Simple. Our fearless leader is a charismatic, persuasive Yank, and I refuse to have him after me to use it."

Rose grinned at Melissa. "You do know that you can stop him with a word to Tiffany, don't you?"

Melissa giggled. "Of course, but I would prefer to save that option for important things, because if we overuse it, it may stop working."

Rose shrugged, and grinned. "Calculated risk, don't you know."

Everyone at the table smiled as Rose imitated James's voice to use his favorite expression. A sudden commotion at the other side of the room made them all look that way. One of the Finnigan twins was dancing around holding his throat. "It's hot," he gasped, as he looked around wildly.

His brother picked up the cup, and sniffed it. "It's coffee, it's supposed to be hot," he said watching his brother down a glass of water.

When the twin drinking the water stopped, he explained, "Not that sort of hot, spicy hot, like chili peppers."

His twin blinked and cautiously tried it. "Ack… " he gasped, "It's not spicy, it tastes like liver."

Suddenly, the cup bloomed, growing a small green flower. "Thank you for testing the latest Green Flower prank. The Cup of Gross Flavors will be for sale soon. Please record your impressions with Chimera." The Finnigan twins turned to look at Chimera's table, where Rose was busily scribbling on a parchment.

"Why us? We haven't sat in your window sill," said one of them plaintively

Rose didn't even look up. "It was just a random cup on the table. It was just bad luck you got it." She did look up then. "I take it that you didn't notice anything strange about the smell or color?"

Most of Manticore just laughed and went back to whatever they were doing, recognizing the signs of one of the Evans twins at work, researching another prank. Rose went to that side of the room, and persuaded a few more Manticore to try the cup out, recording their impressions and comments. Chimera watched with a resigned amusement.

"Those two are impossible," said Emma calmly. "I thought when I came to school, I could stop checking everything I touched for pranks, but they're as bad as my Uncles."

Hangeld patted her hand. "Look on the bright side," he said, grinning at her, "it is always something different with them, and you've created at least a few of the pranks for them."

Lisa turned. "Speaking of that, what do you want to do with your money?"

Emma blinked. "What money?" she asked.

Lisa consulted her papers. "Twelve pranks, at five thousand Galleons per prank equals sixty thousand Galleons."

Emma stared at her in shock. Rose had returned to the table, and spoke absently as she finished making the notes about the Cup of Gross Flavors prank. "James and I decided that since you and Hangeld had made so many of the pranks we're selling, that you should be paid for them. Based on sales, and projected future earnings, we thought that that would be an appropriate amount." She looked up. "Unless it's not enough?"

Emma was still trying to assimilate that fact that she had suddenly earned more money than she had ever even seen. Rose didn't even notice. "Of course that's for you and Hangeld, and you'll have to decide how to split it, but if there are any problems, James and I will be happy to show you how we split our shares up."

Emma looked at Hangeld, who was as stunned as she was. Lisa was grinning at them both, and suddenly winked at the Headmaster. "In fact, I need to know how everyone wants to handle their money."

Adam stared at her. "Would you mind explaining what the devil you're talking about?"

Lisa smirked. "Our leaders have decided that we are in need of being paid, and has set aside a portion of their funds to do so. They also backdated the pay to the first day of school in our first year, and applied interest."

Chimera was so busy staring at Lisa that they didn't notice James and Tiffany settling into their couch. "It's because you won't be able to work at any sort of regular job until this project of ours is over." said James calmly. "It's not much, but it should keep you in the things Manticore doesn't supply."

Adam had a sudden premonition. "Just what do you consider 'not much'?" he asked suspiciously.

James shrugged. "The same thing Rose and I get for our allowance, one hundred and twenty-five Galleons."

Adam frowned as he converted that to the pounds he was used to. He blinked. You're paying us seventeen hundred and fifty Pounds a month?"

Lisa smirked again. "Not a month, a week." She looked at the papers in her hand again. "As of the first day of this school year, we all have fourteen thousand, three hundred Galleons."

James turned to the Headmaster. "I assume you're here about the first year students."

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "The House heads are interested in seeing which of their students you're going to poach from their houses."

James nodded, and handed a sheet of names to the Professor. "These are the ones that will be invited to join Manticore, provided they meet the other standards."

Professor Dumbledore ran his eye down the list, stopping at one name. "Mr. Malfoy didn't seem much like his sister." He said, looking at James.

James winced, and closed his eyes. "He's not," he said, and the bitterness in his quiet voice drew the Headmaster's attention faster than a shout would have. He invited an explanation with a silent look at Tiffany, knowing that James would see it through the Soulbond. "Draco has no paths that go past the start of the war. In the paths that get that far, he only has a few that do anything good. In most of the ones that are not involved with Manticore, he meets either Lisa, me or both of us, and two or more paths end there."

Professor Dumbledore frowned as he thought about the implications of that. Not having a path meant you didn't have a future, and that meant you were dead. If Draco managed to end one or more of Chimera's paths, the Manticores would be in serious trouble. They had to have at least seven of the Eight or they would lose. "Is there anything you can do?" he asked, knowing that James would already be planning something.

James shrugged. "Right now, it's up to Rose and Melissa, and Draco of course. We're going to try and make him one of us." James opened his eyes finally and looked at the Headmaster levelly. "I would rather he was one of the heroes of the war, than one of the villains." Albus Dumbledore figured out the implications of what James was saying faster than Chimera had, and he understood what it cost James to make that decision, as he knew more about James thanks to the Headmaster spells around Hogwarts. He thought about the problem for a few minutes.

Except for Lisa and Rose, the rest of the Chimeras were trying to decide what to do with their money, and conspiring quietly. James and Rose ignored them, as they talked to the Headmaster. Tiffany was also more interested in the Headmaster, as she had already known about the pay they were getting.

Finally, Dumbledore came to a decision. James had to have someone he would talk to at Hogwarts, and that list was very short. Albus resolved to contact the most likely candidate as soon as he was back in his office. He looked at James, and decided to skirt around the problem of Draco for now. "Any of the others have problems like Miss Tzu?" he asked, referring to May-ling.

James accepted the change of subject and shook his head. "No, but Miss Spence interests me for another reason. Did you notice those shoes she was wearing last night?"

Professor Dumbledore had noticed the shoes, because every time she took a step, they had flashed a twinkling blue light. He hadn't really thought about it, assuming it was some sort of spell, a new fad. "What about them?"

James raised an eyebrow at the Professor. "It's a Muggle electronic invention," was all he said, and all he needed to say. Muggle things simply didn't work around large concentrations of magic, as everyone knew.

"Are you sure?" asked Professor Dumbledore.

Tiffany nodded. "I had one of the Manticores check her shoes after they went to bed last night. They're definitely Muggle shoes, but they have a feel of magic about them."

Professor Dumbledore nodded slowly, as he thought about the implications of a spell that allowed Muggle items to work around the shields and magic in Hogwarts. "Keep me informed about that situation," he said. "Anybody else of note in the group?"

"Only personally," said James, with a broad smile. "Miss Wood is the daughter of a Muggleborn Wizard, named John Wood, one of the best movie stunt men in the world, and one of my favorite celebrities."

Professor Dumbledore looked at James with a smile. "The fact that she also managed to turn three people's hair blue before the end of dinner wouldn't have anything to do with that interest, would it?"

James was still smiling. "That's just an added bonus." He frowned, looking at the Headmaster. "Rose told me who was responsible, as she did one of the pranks while Rose was looking at her paths. How did you know it was her?"

Albus Dumbledore smiled enigmatically. "Allow me a few secrets."

James grinned at him. "I'll figure it out sooner or later. Speaking of strange things, we've been working on that book you gave us, and we have some preliminary conclusions to discuss with you."

Tiffany's attention wandered as James and Rose discussed the changes they could make to the spells around Hogwarts, as well as the things that would stay, or be updated. She watched James, as he drew pictures and diagrams on parchment, showing the headmaster what they wanted to do. She smiled softly, remembering his declaration of love earlier. They had talked of love between themselves, but this was the first time James had said anything aloud, and it warmed Tiffany's heart to have it out in the open.

James broke off his conversation to look at her. _"Do you mind?"_ He said, reminding her of a private joke.

_"Not at all. I love you, Crazy Yank."_ She said, and watched him blush.

_"Brat." _He said quietly, with a mental smile. _"I love you too. Even if you are a Nutter Brit."_

Tiffany smiled at him, and snuggled closer, as he lifted an arm to allow her to rest her head on his chest. It was not a romantic thing, but a side effect of the Soulbond. They simply touched, anytime they were within reach of each other. Melissa wasn't sure why yet, but April and her were planning to research that subject this year. Tiffany drifted, enjoying the touch of her Soulbonded, and not really thinking about anything, until something caught her eye. She watched Hangeld and Emma for a few minutes and smiled.

The other Chimeras were still talking about what to do with the money they were getting, and Hangeld was sitting next to Emma. He was deep in conversation with her as they decided how to split the windfall of prank money they had earned, and Hangeld was playing with a bit of Emma's hair. He also had taken over brushing it out of her face, and Tiffany wondered if he even knew he was doing it.

James caught the drift of her thoughts, and watched them with her for a few minutes. _"With hair like that, they're going to have fun when they start brushing it."_ James's comment was amused. Tiffany pretended to pout.

_"You like her hair better than mine."_

James laughed over the Soulbond. _"You know better. I'm simply saying that they will enjoy it."_ Tiffany did know better. Something about the Soulbond made the two of them completely incapable of seeing anyone else in a romantic way. Looking at other people was like looking at a puppy, or a unicorn. He or she might be cute, even beautiful, but they could no more consider having a relationship with him or her than they could the puppy or unicorn.

James had a sudden flash, of Tiffany standing before him, nude but with her hair covering her. Tiffany snickered at him mentally. _"Give me a break Yank, I'm not that beautiful."_

_"Yes, you are."_ The sudden intensity of James's mental tone captured Tiffany's attention, and her looked up at him, from her place on his chest. James was staring at her, and Tiffany got lost in the reflection of herself in his eyes. Looking at herself, looking at him, and continuing on, like multiple images in mirrors that faced each other. James and Tiffany were quickly lost in each other, until a comment and a nudge from Rose brought them back abruptly.

They blinked, and thought about what had just happened, as James turned back to the conversation with the Headmaster. _"What was that? It felt like the rapport, but we weren't doing anything."_

_"I don't know, but if it starts happening every time we look at each other, it's going to be awkward."_

_"Fun though."_

Tiffany was suddenly very aware of James's body, of the hard muscles that three years of intense exercise had given him, and at the same time, she was aware of James noticing the way her muscles were covered with softer flesh and curves. They had seen each other nude in mirrors often enough that that was no longer a big deal, but this was different, as if they were seeing each other for the first time. James excused himself from the talk, and they concentrated on this new experience. James's body started responding to the thoughts and images of Tiffany, and Tiffany felt herself responding to his interest. They cuddled closer, and the feelings intensified, threatening to overwhelm them as the rapport had done in the beginning until a sharp comment from Melissa broke them out of it.

_"Get a room."_ They looked at Melissa, shocked at the acid sharpness of her tone.

Melissa had her face buried in her hands, and she was hiding with her hair.

James was puzzled. _"What did we do?"_

_"Nothing much," _Melissa said, _"you were just broadcasting sexual attraction and lust so strongly that you nearly broke my shields over my Empathy."_

James and Tiffany colored. _"Sorry. We didn't mean to,"_ said James when he had control of his mental voice. He looked at Rose, only to find her staring fixedly at the book she was discussing with the Headmaster. Professor Dumbledore was looking from Rose to James with a sharp-eyed look that told James that Professor Dumbledore had caught on to something happening.

"What was that? We've been snogging for months, and nothing like that ever happened before."

_"I don't know. It was as if you suddenly turned into a woman."_

_"Thanks a lot. In case you haven't noticed, I've been a woman all of my life."_

_"You know what I mean."_

_"Yes."_

_"Whatever it is, we'd better figure it out quickly. If Melissa gets caught in that, and broadcasts it with her Empathy, we'll have all of Manticore looking for dark corners."_

_"How do you suggest we do that? It took us months to control the rapport."_

_"I think we need to get far enough away from the rest of Chimera that it doesn't bleed over the link while we work on it."_

_"China?"_

_"I was thinking more of Hogsmeade."_

_"Will that be far enough?"_

_"If it's not, we've got a serious problem, Greeneyes."_

_"We're going to have to tell the Headmaster about this you know, Yank."_

_"I know. We can't wait for every third weekend, if it's going to hit us like this every time we look at each other."_

_"We can't use the house either. Not if you want to keep it a secret from everyone but Chimera."_

_"Perhaps Professor Dumbledore will have an idea."_

_"I hope so. Do you think it's safe to look at each other yet?"_

James and Tiffany looked at each other cautiously, only to look away as the feeling started again.

_"Does it happen if only one of us is looking at the other, I wonder?"_

"You look at me, and we'll see."

Tiffany looked at James, and felt only a mild stirring, that she could easily control. They traded off, and it was the same for James. He sighed. _"Melissa is going to have a field day with this."_

Melissa and April were documenting the various stages of the Soulbond as they happened, hoping to find something that would help control the frenzy and madness that came with it for the next couple, and Melissa could be very intense about anything to do with the Soulbond. She was forever coming up with more questions that her research uncovered, and she had no shame about asking questions that had them both blushing for weeks.

_"We might as well tell her now. You know how she is if we wait."_ James did indeed know how Melissa got if they waited to tell her something new about the Soulbond.

They spent the next two hours explaining what had happened to Melissa and April, whom Melissa had sent for as soon as she figured out this was something new regarding the Soulbond. Melissa even had them do it again, so she could send the feeling to April with her Empathy. They also had to explain it to the rest of Chimera, who had felt it, although not as strongly as Rose and Melissa.

James did manage to request a private conference with the Headmaster before he left with the names of the first years that Chimera was interested in, and they went to see him after dinner. After they explained the problem to him, he agreed that they needed to fix this as soon as possible, and he made an exception to policy for them, although he cautioned them about letting anyone but Chimera know that they were going into Hogsmeade every Saturday.

James grinned wryly. "We're going to have to tell Jerrick also. If we start disappearing every Saturday, he's going to start looking for us, and he will find us sooner or later."

Professor Dumbledore had to agree with that. He reminded James that he had wanted a good intelligence person, and this was one of the hazards of having one; they absolutely had to know everything, or they would look into it until they did. Jerrick was also discreet though, so James wasn't worried about telling him. James had a private theory that Jerrick tried to keep secrets from himself.

After they finished their talk with the Headmaster, they went back to Manticore Hall, where Chimera waited. As they walked in, Tiffany was amused to see Hangeld playing with Emma's hair again. She looked at the others and was surprised to find Adam doing the same with Lisa, and seemingly unaware of it. James became aware of what was going on, and suddenly looked at Chimera again.

Three years had made a few differences in them, but one thing had been so gradual that it hadn't even registered with any of them. All of the girls had the same length of hair. It didn't matter if it was Emma's bushy red hair, or the silky locks of Melissa; it was all the same length, just past their rears, almost to mid-thigh. James frowned, and looked around at the Manticores in the hall. All the girls in links had the same length of hair, and most of the ones in Phoenix as well. James also noticed that all of the couples in Manticore that were within reach of each other usually fell to playing with each other's hair, much as he and Tiffany did. He also saw four couples combing or brushing each other's hair. James and Tiffany looked at each other, suddenly worried about something they couldn't put a name to.

_"That's not normal, is it Greeneyes?"_

_"Not in the slightest. There is no way you'd get this many girls to agree to the same hairstyle normally, not that it matters; hair grows at different rates, and to different lengths, depending on the person."_

_"How is this happening then?"_

"I don't know. Ask Melissa."

It took James three tries to get through to Melissa, because she was so absorbed in writing notes about the events of the day, but once he did, she looked around, much as they had, and promised to look into it. She scribbled a note in her little notebook, and went back to finishing the notes and whatever else she was writing about the Soulbond from the day's questions and tests.

Emma looked at her, and then at Adam, Hangeld and Lisa. James and Rose waited for whatever it was that they wanted to tell them.

Emma grinned and her eyes alight with mischief. _"Being the fearless one, I have been chosen by certain nameless parties to talk to you about what we want to do with our money."_

_"Those parties,"_ said James in mock puzzlement, _"wouldn't happen to have odd nicknames would they? Names like Artist, Half-Human, Healer and Mental Wizard?"_

_"I believe they might,"_ said Emma after pretending to consider it. "_Anyway, they have chosen me as their spokesperson because they think you might be a little upset when we talk to you."_

James stilled, concentrating on Emma for the moment. _"Why would I be upset about what you're going to do with your money? Unless you use it to help the Patient Child, it's your money."_

_"Because we want to donate a portion of it to the Winged Flame charity."_

James stared at them, frowning. _"How did you find out about that?"_

_"I did actually," _confessed Lisa, with a trace of apprehension in her voice. _You know what a news reader is, right?"_

_"Yes, it's a service that reads all the newspapers and magazines that you designate, and sends you anything that has items that might interest you, or that has words in it that you give them"_

_"Exactly. I have such a service, and one of the things I'm helping Jerrick do is figure out what the Patient Child is using, or going to be using for funding. To do that, I have the service looking for strange or unusual businesses. When a full-blown charity appeared out of nowhere, that was sent to me, and the name, and symbol, of the blue-winged red flame caught my eyes. I did some more research, and figured out it had to be you and Tiffany."_

James sighed. _"I was expecting somebody to find it sooner or later, but this is a bit sooner than I expected."_ James and Tiffany had started the Winged Flame charity with some help from Rose and Cumulus, who had supplied an administrator and about half of the money it used. The Winged Flame promoted greater Muggle-Wizard relations, and ran a house where Muggleborn Wizards and their families could learn about the Wizard world. It also had a place for muggleborn and Wizard children that were unsafe or unwanted in their current homes. There was a similar charity run by Cumulus in America, and the idea had taken hold, so Cumulus (meaning Mary Evans in this case) was looking into a network of similar charities in each part of the Wizard world.

James grinned as Tiffany said something to him, and looked at the rest of Chimera. _"Since the cat is out of the bag, there's nothing I can do, but I would prefer that nobody else at Hogwarts knew about this."_

_"Too late. Jerrick has the same service, and he's good enough to find it easily. If you really wanted to keep it secret, you shouldn't have used your combined signature."_ Lisa told them.

James shrugged, unworried. _"It's a charity, not a hidden thing like the Jade Lily. I wasn't that worried about it, and it was a nice gift to my lady."_

Tiffany grinned at them, and then pretended to be disgusted. _"Other women with rich men get diamonds and jewelry, and I get a charity."_

_"I could give you diamonds," _said James absently, as he thought about something else, _"But they would pale into ugliness next to you."_

Chimera stared blankly at James. James's idea of an extravagant compliment was 'good job', and to hear him sweet talking Tiffany like that had all of them stunned. Tiffany giggled at the dumbfounded expressions on their faces. Even Rose looked as though James had suddenly grown a second head.

Emma was the first to recover. _"Who are you?" _she demanded,_ "and what have you done with James?"_

James looked up, confused. He looked around to see whom Emma was talking to. Chimera's shock and James's bewilderment was too much for Tiffany, who started laughing. _"I've been waiting for this,"_ she said through her laughter, _"and it was worth the wait."_

James looked at the scene of the last few minutes through Tiffany's memories, and had to smile. _"If you're done amusing yourself, we have plans to make, Brat."_

Tiffany stuck her tongue out at him, but settled down. James looked around. _Not much is going to change this year, although there are a couple of things that we discussed with the Headmaster. First, we'll cover the things that are not going to change. Rose, you and Melissa are still in charge of watching over the first years. Lisa, you and Adam are still helping Jerrick try to identify the Patient Child or his organization."_ James grinned at Emma and Hangeld. _"You two can carry on as usual, but I do have another duty for you. You're going to take control of the new Manticores, that don't have a team yet, and make sure they are doing what needs to be done, until one or more of them shows promise as a team leader."_

Hangeld and Emma nodded, and Emma made a note in her little book. The notebooks had started with Melissa and Emily, but they were extremely useful, and almost half of Manticore was carrying one now. Adam was the only Chimera that wasn't carrying one, and when you had a perfect memory, you really didn't need notes.

James looked at his notes, and turned to Lisa and Adam. _"While you're working with Jerrick, pass the word about this. If any Manticore wants to going into Hogsmeade on the weekend, it's the same as for the older students now. As long as they meet the standards, they may miss that day of training."_ James paused, thinking. _"I don't believe we have anybody that is having problems this year, either in school or physically, so that shouldn't be a problem."_

_"The rest of this is things that are changing or new, so pay attention," _said James._ "Tiffany and I will be in Hogsmeade every Saturday, trying to get a handle on this new facet of the Soulbond, and you'll have to cover for us, as Professor Dumbledore doesn't want anybody knowing that we're there on the non-visit weekends."_

"_Melissa, will you be continuing the lessons with the Centaurs?"_ At her nod of assent, James nodded. _"Then I would appreciate it if you would get Rose to accompany you, and the two of you tried to recruit a few of the non-humans to help us. Rose knows our limits, and I trust you two not to offer anything we can't pay."_

_"I also have an appointment with them." _Rose reminded James.

_"I remember, and we'll keep it."_ James debated saying something about the private talk he'd had with his father, but decided to wait until he knew for sure.

_"The last thing I have is from the Headmaster as well as myself."_ James said, and he waited until all of them were looking at him. _"Some of you are going to be noticing a few changes in yourself this year, and he wants you to tell April and Melissa about them as soon as they start happening. Hangeld, that includes your elemental magic manifesting. The rest of the changes, and who they happen to, the headmaster would prefer me not to say anything about yet, as premature knowledge might affect the development of these things, and he doesn't want that."_

Emma grinned. "_Finally. I've been waiting for this for over a year now."_ James merely looked at her. _"Please. Everyone has some sort of special talent to help deal with the Patient Child, and we already know about most of them. Hangeld is an Elemental Mage, Lisa is smarter than any two people, Melissa has the healing, Rose is a Seer and you can make spells sit up and beg. I was wondering when my talent would manifest."_

_"Speaking of talents, that reminds me of something." _James tore out a sheet from his notebook and handed it to Lisa. _Find out when these people are free for an optional class. Optional, but I don't think you'll have any problem getting them to agree to it."_

Lisa was running through the list. _"None of us have any spare time, Yank. Emily will take any class, but Mercy and Jerrick are as busy as we are, and a couple of the others have OWLs or NEWTs this year, and two of them aren't even in school anymore."_

_"If anyone on the list would rather pass up the chance to be Animagi, they can, but I don't think they will."_ James grinned at the reaction that brought from everyone but Adam, who looked confused. James smiled at him. _"The plural of Animagius is Animagi."_

Adam stared at him. _"You mean we're all going to be turning into cats, like Professor McGonagall?"_

James shook his head. _"Most Animagi have a shape that fits their personality and character."_

Lisa choked on something and rolled her eyes. _"Wonderful. Our leader is either going to turn into a wolverine or a St Bernard."_

Chimera followed Lisa's mental pictures of James turning into a berserk wolverine or a helpful rescue dog, and broke into laughter. Even James smiled, although he had a sudden thought. He smirked at Lisa. _"How about a wolverine the size of a St Bernard?"_

Adam, Lisa and Rose all groaned at that, and the rest of them stared at them. Emma asked, _"What's wrong with that?"_

_"That depends. A normal wolverine is about ninety pounds, and is the most dangerous carnivore alive, pound for pound. They've been known to chase full-grown bears away from a kill. St Bernards on the other hand, while more peaceful, usually weigh about a hundred and fifty pounds fully grown. James is talking about nearly doubling the size of an animal that will attack a full grown grizzly bear." _Rose finished her little speech, and James grinned at her.

So you were listening to me, all those times I told you about the animals."

_"Like I had a choice? You kept dragging me off to rescue everything that was injured within a hundred miles of the house, and I had to know which ones would trample, bite, claw, gore, poison or otherwise attack me, and which attack I had to look out for."_ Rose smirked at James, and added one more comment. _"At least I was smart enough not to get bitten or clawed."_

_"North American Mountain Pixies." _Rose blushed, as Tiffany started laughing.

"The Unicorn." It was James's turn to blush. "Wood elves." 

_"Momma Wolverine."_

_"Baby Naga."_

_"Eagle chick."_

Chimera, with the exception of Tiffany watched the byplay in confusion. Tiffany, who knew what each phrase meant, was laughing so hard, she could barely breathe, and both of the twins were a deep red.

_"Would one of you that can talk, mind filling the rest of us in on what's so funny?"_ Tiffany was starting to choke from laughing, and James stopped to pat her on the back. At the question from Adam, James and Rose blushed even harder, and answered him simultaneously. _"Yes, we would mind."_

Tiffany was wiping tears from her eyes, and smirked at the twins. _"That's OK, I'll be glad to tell them all about it."_

James looked at the smirking Tiffany, and bent over her to whisper something in her ear. Tiffany was the only one that heard it, but whatever he said made her blush as dark as the twins and stop smirking.

_"Well?" _said Emma after Tiffany was silent for a minute.

Tiffany turned innocent eyes on her. _"What?"_

_"You said you were going to tell us what was so funny."_

_"Did I? I'm sorry, I must have forgotten." _Tiffany's face glowed with innocence and sincerity.

James grinned at her. _"Nice face, Brit brat, but you need to come up with a better excuse. That one was a hair too close to lying."_

_"I'm sorry, but I could never do the stories justice, you should listen to them from somebody that was there."_ Tiffany looked at James, who was thinking.

"Still close. Try something like this: 'It wouldn't be nice of me to tell those stories without the permission of the owner,' or just tell them to go to hell."

Tiffany nodded, as Chimera watched in bemusement. _"Pardon me," _said Lisa calmly,_ "but are you giving her classes in avoiding the truth?"_

James put on his best innocent face, the one that made him look like an angelic being, which did absolutely no good since Lisa knew him better than that. _"Pay attention, Brat." _He turned to Lisa. _"Me? Lisa, have I ever lied to you?"_

_"Yes, you, and no you haven't."_ Lisa answered the questions in the order he asked them.

"So if I tell you that I would never do that, it must be true, right?" 

_"Yes." _Lisa was suspicious, but it was true that James never lied.

"Well, there you go then."

_"Wait a minute," _said Adam, catching on to James's game_, "now tell us you wouldn't do that."_

_"There comes a point, Brat," _James said, _"where you are reduced to just one response. I have a couple of options left at this point, which you should be able to figure out. In the interest of getting back to business, I'm going to skip to the last step."_

_"Adam, go to hell."_

Adam smiled at Lisa. _"You have to pay attention to exactly what James says. He asked if he said something, it must be true, but he didn't actually say it."_

_"You two are bad enough, why are you teaching Tiffany to be like you?" _asked Hangeld, as he thought about the scene they'd just witnessed. "_And why were we privileged to see it?"_

Seeing the confused looks around him, Hangeld explained. "_James and Tiffany could have had that whole conversation over the Soulbond, and we'd never have known. Instead, they used the Chimera link, with means they wanted us to hear it."_

They all looked at James, who was staring at Rose. After two years of watching linked people, all of Chimera knew the twins were arguing about something, just by the feel of them and their body language. Hangeld sent a smirk over the link. _"See what I mean? James and Rose are using the twinlink, and none of us can hear a thing."_

Tiffany caught their attention while the twins argued. _"Don't worry about it, although our fearless leader wouldn't mind if none of us lied. It's a family thing that he's trying to get permission to tell us about, seeing as we're going to be together for awhile."_

Lisa was putting bit and pieces of things together from the last two years, and using her head. She nodded as another piece fell into place. She almost said something, but seeing Tiffany looking at her and shaking her head slightly, she remained quiet. They sat quietly, waiting for the twins to finish arguing.

Suddenly she froze. She had been thinking in her own head, not over the Chimera link, and Tiffany had known what she was thinking. She looked at Tiffany again, but Tiffany was getting a cup of coffee for James.

Before Lisa could pursue the questions in her head, James and Rose stopped their argument, and looked at them._ "Sorry about that," _James said, _"Rose and I are having a minor disagreement, and we'll have to wait to finish this until tomorrow, unless somebody has something that can't wait?"_

Nobody had anything pressing, and in the round of good nights and chatter as most of Chimera headed for bed, Lisa forgot about Tiffany's strange knowledge.

An hour or so later, James made a quick check on the lab, and found Emily still reading in the library. "Hey, it's almost midnight. You're going to have to sneak back to Ravenclaw."

Emily didn't even look up as she answered him absently. "OK, I will."

James sighed, and gently took the spellbook from her. "Now, Emily."

Emily frowned, but got up and followed James out of the lab.

James and Tiffany made sure that Emily got back to Ravenclaw, and went to the Gryffindor common room, where they sat in front of the fireplace and cuddled up close. They watched the fire silently, just enjoying the touch of their other half until Tiffany yawned. _"Time for bed, Greeneyes."_

_"Don't I get a good night kiss first?"_

_"Of course."_

James and Tiffany had been Soulbonded for two solid years now, and they had aged six years in that time. They had passed the point of chaste kisses some time ago, and the kiss James gave her was not a delicate kiss, but the passionate kiss of a man for his lover. They broke apart, and James smiled at Tiffany. _"I love you."_

_"I love you too."_

Tiffany looked at her Soulbonded, and bit her lip. _"I want you to go to bed now too. You can't do anything about anything tonight, and you're a grouch in the morning if you sit here and worry."_

James stood up and picked Tiffany up, smiling at her. _"Shall I take my favorite teddy bear with me?"_

_"Put me down, you big ox. I'm not a teddy bear."_

_"No, you're the woman I love, and far better to sleep with." _James set her down, but kept his arms around her, lifting her head to kiss her again.

Tiffany kissed him back, while replying to his comment over the Bond. _"You haven't slept with me yet."_

_"Yes I have. Making love would just be icing, it's holding you that is the best part of touching you, and you know it."_

_"You haven't slept with me either. We've fallen asleep together, but we've never gone to bed to sleep or make love."_

They separated and headed up their respective stairs after another kiss. James was thinking about what Tiffany had said. _"A lot of that has to do with the fact that if we did go to bed together, we'd want to make love, and you don't need to be a mother at thirteen, no matter what your physical age is."_

_"I know. We're going to have to find a way around that potion problem, or we're going to be very irritable this year."_

James and Tiffany had found out that gender based potions, spells and even Muggle style medicines would make the other half of the Soulbond ill until it wore off, and that included every form of birth control that their discreet research had found. With the accelerated aging of the Soulbond, came accelerated hormones, and the frustration they were hiding from everyone was getting worse.

Physically, they were about seventeen, and they were very much aware that the snogging and occasional making out was just not enough anymore.

_"We could use those rubber things, the ones Muggles use." _Tiffany's voice was hesitant, and James understood why.

"I would prefer to not be wrapped in rubber the first time we make love. I want to make love with you, not merely satisfy an urge with you."

They discussed it a bit longer, but neither of them had any answers that they had not already explored. The problem was the age at which they had bonded. Until James and Tiffany, most couples didn't bond until their twenties, and they were free to do whatever they wanted. Bonding at eleven, with school and the Prophecy ahead of them, made their life slightly more complicated.

"James, do you remember what you said this morning?" Tiffany's voice was muggy with sleep, as she drifted off.

"Of course, why?"

"Don't worry about me dying before my time, Love. I've had the Bond and us. I'm not sure I need any more than that."

"I love you too"

James's last thought as they drifted into sleep was to wonder if he'd get the owl from his father tomorrow.


	23. Secrets revealed and kept

_For those of you keeping track, yes this is three chapters in a week, and it will never happen again. This came about because I was feeling guilty about not posting in so long. This despite the fact that I had perfectly valid excuses not to post. Guilt however, doesn't care about excuses. This chapter is dedicated to all the people that that have ever lost a family member during a Holiday._

**_Secrets revealed... and kept_**

Manticore settled into their school routine over the next two weeks. They had PT six mornings a week and school classes, followed by Manticore work and whatever they did for fun. Since Manticore was a wildly varies group, what they did for fun was different as well.

Jerrick found amusement in learning everything, and was often heard to bemoan the lack of Internet capabilities at the school. While not a Muggleborn, his father had extensive contacts in the Muggle world, and had seen the intelligence potential of the Internet long ago.

Emily of course, was still reading the books in the library, and James often had to escort her back to Ravenclaw late at night before going to bed himself.

Sonya Gebbs had found a new hobby, as she had gone with Jerrick to talk to the Merfolk in the lake, and found she liked the lake. James had given Jerrick a Muggle thing called a drysuit, as the lake was very chilly most of the time, and the drysuit kept you warm. Jerrick would use the drysuit and a bubblehead charm to talk to the Merfolk, and after Sonya started going with him, he's gotten one for her from James. Sonya could be found in the lake most weekends now, and was learning the Merfolk language.

Chimera of course, had their own hobbies. Lisa was involved in something she wasn't talking about, except to say that she was getting insurance.

Hangeld was beginning to manifest his Elemental magic, and had turned out to be an Earth Mage, meaning all his powers had to do with Earth. He could make things grow quickly, and was learning more from Blacklegs, who was teaching an optional class at Hogwarts in Human-Giant relations.

Emma was busy running the unattached Manticores into the ground, trying to get them in shape to compete with the rest of Manticore, and trying to get one of them to take charge. The best candidate so far however, was only borderline at best. She and Hangeld could still be found in the lab most Saturdays, where they actually managed to breach the wards around the potions lab one weekend. As it was an accident, they couldn't reproduce the effect, which frustrated James no end.

James and Rose were still spending more time together, trying to bridge the growing gap in their thinking, and working on more entertaining pranks, now that they had better spells and more training to play with.

Tiffany had decided to work with Carey Fudge, and under her gentle teaching, he was actually showing some progress. He could now walk through Manticore Hall without bumping into something. As Tiffany explained to James late one night in front of the Gryffindor fireplace, Carey was not really that clumsy, it was simply that someone had convinced him he was, and as she wore down that mental block, and he gained more confidence, he stopped being so clumsy, which helped boost his confidence even more. James smiled at his Soulbonded. "_I knew you were more than good looks."_ Tiffany made a face at him, and tried to tickle him, an action that ended up with her pinned to the floor, and James claiming a kiss before he'd let her up.

Melissa was still collecting data on the various abilities and links, studying with the Centaurs, and helping the Manticore Mediwizards with the Xavier spellbooks, making her one of the busier Manticores.

Adam had taken up painting as his hobby, and was very good at it. He liked to do portraits of the Manticores, and would badger one of them into sitting for him every weekend. He got most of them to do it by telling them that if they were sitting for him, James wouldn't bother them, a fact that had some of the team leaders asking to be painted. James had not lost any of the energy of youth, and was likely to turn up anywhere, checking on his people.

The Weasley brothers, Arthur and Michael, had NEWTs and OWLs this year, and were too busy studying for them to do much.

Daniel Creevey had found something to do also. His had found a talent for Transfigurations, and was taking an extra class late in the day with Professor McGonagall. The Professor was also teaching the Animage class every Friday after the last class of the regular school day when everyone that was invited could make time to be there. All of Chimera, Sonya, Prefect Moore, Emily, Mercy, and Jerrick were there, along with a few other people.

Since every Animage had to be registered, and there had not been this many Animagi in several decades, let alone all at once and in one place, this caused another of the seven day wonder media events James was rapidly growing to hate with a passion. Manticore had three betting pools going. The first was one which reporter James would do something about first, the second was on what form his retribution would take, and the last was on Emma and Hangeld. That one was on what they would do to themselves next.

Outside of the school, the parents of Manticore that knew about the prophecy now were building a quiet support network among themselves, and most of them were taking the precautions that Robert had recommended during the Hogsmeade week. Robert had compiled a list of the best wards he could find, and every family was given that list. If they chose to use them, Cumulus paid for the wards and for the more involved ones, would send a Wizard or two to help place them.

A strange thing happened to Minister Fudge one day, as more than thirty birds chose to fly over him while he talked to a group of Wizards, and somehow managed to hit him with multiple droppings. The droppings had an exceptionally bad odor, and stained his robes badly. Richard Rohan was there, having received an anonymous note that the gathering would be interesting, and managed to get a picture of the Minister as the droppings hit him. The gossip paper Magic Mayhem carried it on the front page, and James posted one of the pictures in Manticore Hall.

James and Rose claimed that they hadn't done it, which most people that remembered what the Minister had said about America and the Shaman teachings didn't believe. James and Rose hadn't done it though, they had simply told a group of British Shamans about the Minister's feelings toward 'Shayminism' and suggested an appropriate response. They had supplied the spell that caused the odor and staining, but had not cast it, so they could truthfully say they had not done it.

Chimera, knowing about the Evans's habits, had wormed the whole truth out of them.

James got an owl from his father on the 21st and after he read the first part of it, he looked at Rose. _"We need to talk to the Headmaster after dinner. Father has given him the release for us to tell Chimera about It."_

Chimera looked at each other. Lisa frowned at the uncharacteristic seriousness of the twins, and asked, _"Do we want to know about this thing you've taken the Ice Binding over?"_

_"No," _said James bluntly, _"but I have to offer you the option, as the thing will be a major part of Rose and my lives, and since you all are bonded to us, you should know about it. You can turn it down, and you'll never know what it is. If you do accept this knowledge though, you will agree to the Ice Binding as well, so you might want to think about it before you say yes or no."_

Chimera was quiet that day, as they thought about the implications of that. The Ice Binding was the single most powerful oath that one Wizard could cast on another, and nobody could break it or release it except the Wizards involved in the casting. In the end though, all of Chimera agreed to the Oath.

Robert Evans would be at the school Sunday, and would give the Oaths, after which James and Rose would tell them whatever it was. Friday, James passed the word that the lab would be off limits Sunday until he said otherwise.

Sunday was a bright sunny day, which only emphasized the irritable moods of the twins, and the somber mood of Robert and Mary, who arrived shortly after breakfast. The group went up to Manticore Hall, and into the lab, where James and Mary bound the door shut with a ward. While they were doing that, Robert and Rose prepared the things Robert would need to cast the Oath, and the rest of Chimera checked the lab for anything that might be out of place. Albus Dumbledore, who was going to be part of the Oath while the Codex was at Hogwarts, watched with interest. He knew of the Pendragon Ice Binding of course, every adult Wizard did, but he'd never known anyone under the oath, and this was a new experience.

When everything was ready, Robert asked them if they were willing to accept the Oath, and after they said they were, he cast the Oath, taking a drop of their blood, and his and mingling it in a potion. When that was done, he had them repeat the terms of the Oath, and their acceptance of it. As they did, the potion glowed a pure white, and a mist swirled around them, a mist that chilled the blood and made them all gasp.

At the conclusion of the Oath, the mist sank into their bodies, and they could feel it, like a cold chill on their spines. James looked at them, knowing what they were feeling. _"It'll go away in about ten minutes, and you'll never know about it, unless you start to break the oath, and it will warn you with the chill you feel now. If you continue past the warning, the oath will stop you before you reveal the secret I'm about to tell you."_

James looked around, and finally sighed. "Most of you know what I'm talking about, but bear with me as I fill Adam in on the Draconian Codex."

The Wizardborn, who had heard all the tales and legends of the Codex, stared at James.

Lisa looked at James's trunk, which was sitting before them. "You have the Codex in there?"

Rose answered her, as James filled Adam in on the history of the Codex. "Yes, it has been James's responsibility since the summer before we started at Hogwarts."

Mary broke into their conversation. "I was guarding it, but I had to give it up. With James and Rose getting into the Prophecy, I was not sure I trusted myself not to use it if something happened to them, and the Codex would only accept James."

"What do you mean it would only accept James?" asked Hangeld, as he moved a bit further away from the trunk.

Mary sighed at she looked at the trunk. "The spells and wards around the Codex have to be tied to one person, and sometimes, when you attempt to bind the Codex to someone, it simply will not work. There is a theory that the Codex, while not alive, has a type of intelligence that allows it to prevent the wards from working. When we tried to bind the first choice to it, it refused the binding."

Robert picked up from there. "We tried all the adults that know about this thing, and the damn thing refused them all, and at that point, we had no choice, as the number of people that know about this, and that I trust with it are limited. James was the only one that knew about it, and that it would accept."

James had finished telling Adam about the history of the Codex, and was listening quietly. When Robert was finished, he spoke up. "Since you are all bound to us, and we are bound to that thing, I convinced Father we were going to have to tell you about it sooner or later."

Emma was looking around. "I don't understand. You have the most powerful spellbook ever. Why are we worrying about the Patient Child? You could obliterate him in a second with that thing."

James raised an eyebrow. "Emma," he said patiently, "don't you listen to the stories? Everyone who has ever opened that book has been destroyed, and they did more damage to the world than all the Dark Wizards that ever lived."

Robert nodded. "The Codex is responsible for more damage than any three other items combined. The asteroid belt was a planet once, until a Wizard obsessed with the power of the Codex destroyed it, and the last time it was opened, a Witch seeking personal revenge on just six people destroyed the entire island of Atlantis. It took a thousand Wizards and Witches to take it away from her, and she was completely mad by then. There is an old saying, 'power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.' The Codex is more than absolute power, it's ultimate power."

"Not to mention," James added, "that the Codex has an aura that makes me want to stay very far away from it. I would have left it at home, thousands of miles away, if I could have."

Robert smiled faintly at James. "Personally, I was much happier to have it under the Hogwarts wards."

Albus Dumbledore smiled wryly at Robert. "Speaking of which, I think we need to have a talk, about you sending that here, without telling me first."

Robert shrugged, and halfway apologized. "I wasn't planning on it, but then I wasn't planning on sending James and Rose here either. The North American Wizard's Academy is close enough to home that it could have stayed at the house. The Prophecy changed things on us."

"I'd still like to punch the director in the nose." muttered James.

Tiffany caressed his hair. "I haven't filled out my will yet, thank you."

The rest of Chimera agreed with her, as the adults, who didn't have a clue what they were talking about looked on in confusion.

Lisa looked at the Evans, and came to a decision. "Are you the Guardians?" Lisa was referring to an old Wizard legend, that said one family had been chosen to be the guardians of things too strong to be destroyed, but too powerful to used. They also destroyed things that could only be used for evil purposes.

Mary looked up. "No, the Evans's are not the Guardians."

Melissa had looked up, puzzled by the spike of emotions that Mary had felt when the Guardians were mentioned, and she had a flash of insight. "You know who they are though, don't you?"

James and Rose turned to stare at their mother, waiting for the answer. Mary looked at all the people staring at her, and sighed. "I do, but I cannot tell you how I know, or who they are, because of an Oath nearly as strong as the one you just swore."

James and Rose looked at each other. "More secrets. It has to be an adult thing."

James agreed with Rose. "Like not telling us that we were related to the Potters."

Mary grinned. "Very much like that, and that's all I'm going to say about it, unless the situation changes somehow."

Emma was still studying the chest. "Can we see it at least?"

James smirked at Rose. "Pay up."

Rose groaned. "Paid, you swindler. I should have learned by now that betting with you is just a good way to throw money away."

"Would you mind telling me what you bet on me for?" asked Emma. "And then you can answer my question."

James grinned at her. "Simple bet really, Rose saw that somebody would ask to see the Codex, but because anything to do with the Codex clouds her sight, she couldn't see who. I thought it would be you, and Rose thought it would be Adam."

"Me?" said Adam in surprise. "Why would you think I would want to see it?"

Rose looked at Emma and frowned. "Mostly, because I thought any Wizardborn would have heard enough about it that they wouldn't want to see it. You haven't grown up on the stories and legends, so I thought you'd be the first to ask."

Adam looked at Rose. "I haven't seen a nuclear explosion either, but that doesn't mean I need to see it up close and personal. If you two don't want to even touch the thing, and James the obsessed won't use it in the War, that tells me all I need to know."

James protested Adam's description of him. "I am not obsessed."

The group stared at James for a minute before bursting out in laughter. Even Tiffany had a smile on her face. James looked injured. "I'm not that bad."

Robert tousled James's hair. "Yes," he said, "you are. You always have been, and always will be. I know, because I'm the same way, and I know the signs of obsession better than anyone."

Emma looked at James. "You still haven't answered my question." she reminded him.

James sighed. "How many of you want to see it?"

Emma, Lisa and Melissa raised their hands, and after a second, Hangeld and Adam raised theirs as well.

Tiffany shook her head, quiet and somber. "I've seen it in James's memories, and that's as close as I need to get."

James caressed her face. "Sorry, you're going to see it again, but you don't have to go in there with it."

Tiffany shivered. "Get it over with."

James nodded, and turned to his parents. "Would you be the pair, please?"

They nodded, took positions in front of the trunk, and pulled their wands. The others watched them curiously.

James smiled mirthlessly. "Since you asked, you can be the first to see It." he told Emma.

James bent over his trunk and muttered something the others didn't quite catch, and stood back. The trunk shimmered for a second, and then grew to nearly two meters tall, unfolding in some manner that didn't seem possible. Adam watched with interest. "That is very useful."

James went to the door that had appeared when the trunk finished unfolding, and looked at Rose. She sighed but got up and joined him. The twins did something, and suddenly there were two small handles on the door. They both put a hand on the handles, and pulled the door open.

Emma was watching curiously. "I've seen you open your trunk several times, and you didn't have to do that." she said to Rose.

Rose smiled at her. "Of course not, I don't have that thing in mine. The two of us, acting in tandem, is the only way to open James's trunk. It's something James and I agreed on, when we decided that we had to bring the book with us."

James spoke quietly, but firmly. "Pay attention. There are a couple of obvious dangers here and one not quite so easy to note. First, if you have a weak will the thought of the Codex dominates your thinking. Once or twice, a person seeing it for the first time has tried to run off with it." James indicated Robert and Mary. "That's their job, to prevent you from getting anywhere. I will also be watching for any signs that the Codex has captured your thoughts while we're in there, and I have a few more options to use."

Rose picked up from that point. "The next danger is to you, not the Codex. Some people can't stand the feel of the thing and have nearly gone catatonic. That's why James will be in there with you, to pull you out if you collapse."

James nodded in agreement, as he continued. "There is also a small chance that it may not like you, and you'll drop dead." Chimera stared at James.

"Hold on one second." said Adam, looking nervously at the door. "Are you saying that thing can kill people, without anyone using it?"

"Kill, no, not on purpose anyway." Everyone turned to look at Melissa, who had spoken. Melissa was staring at the open door with a far away expression on her face. "It's not intelligent, not in any way I know, but it is aware somehow. I can feel it. It has emotions." Robert and Mary looked at Melissa and then at the open door.

Robert was frowning thoughtfully as he considered the doorway. "The Evans line doesn't have Empaths, and we've never had an Empath see the Codex. I wonder if you could communicate with it somehow."

Melissa was still staring at the door. "I don't think so. It's not remotely human, and I can't understand what it's feeling." She blinked and turned her back on the door. "I've changed my mind. I don't want to see it."

James nodded. "It's your choice." He looked at Emma. "Are you ready?" At Emma nod of assent, James gestured at the door. "After you."

Emma walked through the door with James and paused, looking at the only thing in the room. The room was bare except for a pedestal that drew the eye. The pedestal was three feet high and appeared to be made of oak, but that didn't register until later, because the book on it commanded your attention. It was closed, and bound in black leather, with gold lettering on the cover in an alphabet Emma didn't recognize. The Codex was nearly a foot thick and two feet high. Emma noted those details but didn't really think about them, because she could feel the Codex examining her as she looked at it. She had an urge to go over to it and open it, but James's arm stopped her. She blinked as she realized she'd started moving toward it without even knowing it. She looked at James, and was surprised to see that he was focused on her, and not looking at the Codex at all.

Emma felt the Codex finish examining her and its attention went elsewhere, and she looked at it again. The power in it called to her and she took another step toward it. James stopped her, and motioned towards the door. They went outside, and the feel of the Codex went away. Emma looked at James, and back at the door. She turned to James, and was completely serious for one of the few times in her life. "Don't ever let me back in the room with that thing."

"It called to you, didn't it." James said, and it was more a statement than a question. Emma nodded and James sighed. "Deal. I wish I didn't have to go in there." He looked around. "Who's next?" Adam looked at the others, and stepped forward.

Adam was only in the room a second, and came back out fast enough to make Robert and Mary point their wands at him. He didn't even notice, as he crossed to the point in the room furthest from the chest and started rubbing his arms. "That thing is creepy. How anyone can bear to be in the room with it long enough to use it is beyond me." The first touch of the Codex in his mind had raised all the hair on his arms and the back of his neck, and Adam had literally fled the feel of the book.

Hangeld had been talking to Emma, and now he looked at James. "I agree with Melissa. I don't want to see it either."

James accepted that, and looked at Lisa. "What about you? Are you ready to look at it?" Lisa looked at Adam, hesitated for a minute and then crossed to the door. James joined her, and they entered the door. They were not in there long and when they came back out, Lisa was pale. She looked at James.

"How do you go in there?" she asked. "I wouldn't go back in there for anything."

James looked at her, and his eyes were haunted and weary. "Because it's my duty." was all he said, and after two years of training, all he needed to say to the others. He turned to Albus Dumbledore. "Do you wish to see it, Sir?"

The Headmaster started to say yes, and then he looked at James again, noting the perspiration on his brow. "It calls to you." James nodded and Albus looked again at the door. "While I would like to see it, I think you've been tempted enough for one day."

James sighed in relief. "Thank you, Sir. If I have to open the room another day, the offer stands."

James and Rose closed his trunk back up and the rest of the people could almost feel an oppression lift from the room. Robert shrunk the chest, and he and James left to return it to James's room.

Melissa looked at Tiffany, who was pale and sweating, just as James had been. "How bad is it for him?" Tiffany looked at her, but before she could say anything, Melissa spoke again. "I'm not researching, I'm asking as his friend."

It wasn't Tiffany that answered her though, but Rose. "Bad enough that he had nightmares for a month after he was bound to it."

"He still dreams about it sometimes." Tiffany added. The group was silent, lost in their own thoughts of the Codex when Robert and James came back, but the actions of cleaning up after the spell and setting the room to rights brought them out of that. They finished straightening the lab, and walked out into Manticore hall, where they found most of the Manticores clustered around one table. Chimera headed in that direction, and found Uncle Alexander talking stories of the Borderer's life to the Manticores.

James and Rose grinned and hugged him. Alexander Evans smiled as he hugged them, and then pushed them away slightly, assuming a stern look. "Is this how you treat all your Professors?"

Chimera stared at him. "Our Professor?" asked Rose, starting to smile. She turned to James. "What do you think? Is there something he can teach us?"

Before James could answer her, Alexander smirked at them. "Of course there is. How not to annoy Nagas, how not to get clawed by"

James interrupted him. "How to throw parties that involve the CO's wife, two sheep and a kangaroo."

Alexander stopped in mid word and considered James. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "Where did you hear that story?" he demanded.

James just smiled. "The same place I heard about the jeep and the hooch run into Mexico." He smiled innocently at his Uncle, and made an offer. "However, I'll keep quiet if you do."

Alexander sighed. "I suppose it wouldn't be real good if those stories got out. Deal, you blackmailer."

James grinned at him. "It's not blackmail, Sir. It's merely a fair exchange of silence, although I don't think any of our stories have to wait for the Statue of Limitations to expire."

Robert raised an eyebrow at Alexander. "You seem to have forgotten to tell me a thing or two. I'll be very interested to hear about these stories."

Alexander looked at his brother and grinned. "Are you buying?"

Robert smiled slyly. "Of course, but I don't think Hogwarts has anything stronger than Pumpkin juice."

Alexander grinned as he put an arm around Robert and started walking towards the door. "Hogwarts may not, but Blacklegs has a still somewhere, and he makes a fairly good hooch."

Mary winced. "Robert Evans, if you come back singing again, I'll hex you." She looked at the others, who were trying not to laugh. "I love Robert dearly, but every time he goes out with Alexander and gets drunk on that Ranger moonshine, he feels this urge to sing, and Robert cannot sing."

James and Rose laughed. "He sounds like a bear with an upset stomach." said Rose.

Robert just looked at them patiently. "Neither of you two have any room to talk about my singing, seeing as how you inherited your musical talent from me."

Mary nodded vigorously. "That's true, although at least they don't try to sing."

Robert shook his head in mock sorrow at his smiling family. "I think I'll go talk to somebody that doesn't give me a load of grief. Are you coming, Alexander?"

Alexander grinned and winked at the others. "Hell yes, I am. I want to see who you can find that doesn't give you 'a load of grief', as you put it."

The two brothers walked out of the hall to the sounds of Chimera and Mary's laughter.

Mary wandered around the Hall, talking to the Manticores that she knew, and asking after their families, while Albus spoke quietly to James. "Hagrid is in Diagon Alley this weekend, and he's getting that book. I want to see it as soon as you know what it is, and before you do anything with it."

James agreed readily. "It doesn't have the feel of the Codex, and now that Rose can see it, it's not a danger to us." He frowned, and looked around to make sure they were private. "However, it's bound up in the Sphinx knot somehow."

The Headmaster considered that thoughtfully. Sphinx had a knot, a place where so many future paths converged that Rose couldn't see what was going to happen in the near future, and Albus frowned as he considered this new fact. He looked at James. "What are you going to do?"

James shrugged. "I won't know that until I know more about that book." He looked at the Headmaster. "Whatever it is, if it's going to hurt my people, it can go in the chest with the other book, and stay there."

Professor Dumbledore smiled faintly, and started making his way to the door, after saying goodbye to Mary and the others. He returned to his office and sat in his chair, thinking about the book. He looked over at his bookshelf and levitated one particular book to his desk. He turned to the bookmark in it, and read the section again. When he was finished, he closed the book with a sigh. He looked up at the portraits of the previous Headmasters, who were watching him silently.

"Knowledge can be a terrible burden." he said quietly.

Everard was just as grave as he spoke. "You cannot tell the young man about this, Albus. It must be done."

Professor Dumbledore considered those words, and looked at the ceiling. "If he should ever find out that I knew what could, no, what will happen, he'll be upset."

"That might be true, but you have to think of the consequences of this not happening."

Professor Dumbledore sat in his office, silent and thoughtful until the small hours of the morning, and still he was no closer to resolving his dilemma.

_A/N:_

_Other than passing comments, this is the last you'll see of the Codex until after the start of the war._

_And now, a few comments for reviewers._

_Requiem to a Dream__:_

_Sheepish grin Kimberly "call me Raven" Wood is my pen name, yes. However, all the names in this story are people I know, or out of JKR's books, and I'm running short on names. Besides, Haven't you ever wanted to help save the world?_

_As for Rose and Melissa... Yes, they could pair off. Or not, and that depends on this next year, and the Third year summer mission.I have it written both ways, and I haven't made up my mind which way it will go._

_James and Tiffany will be getting closer as they mature, and that's all I'll say about the Soulbond right now._

_Elfy19__:_

_James and Tiffany's 'problem' is going to be solved sometime this year... You'll just have to wait and see how._

_At the beginning of their third year, James and Rose still look very much alike. James is only four years older than Rose in physical aging, and is merely a little taller, (5'10" vs 5'4") and of course the male/female differences are beginning to show. Rose will start her cycle before Yule, and James of course is well past puberty. The primary difference between them on sight is that Rose has long hair, just past her rear, and James has hair that doesn't quite reach his shoulders._

_As to who's closer, James and Rose, or James and Tiffany;_

_James and Rose's twinlink is fairly limited. They can use mental speech with each other, feel emotions and tell where they are in relation to each other. It's about the same as the Chimera link. They are closer than the rest of Chimera simply because they grew up together._

_James and Tiffany on the other hand, are linked in ways the rest of the world will never fully understand. Their hearts beat on the same rythym, they breath at the same time, and every thought one of them has, the other has also. Everything they feel, do, taste, hear, smell or learn, they both experience. Either of them can use the other's memories as if they were their own, and every emotion one has, the other feels._

_Rose will get a signifigant other, see my response to Requiem above._

_James and Tiffany are related. I might have the terms wrong, but Lily Evans-Potter was the great-great-granddaughter of the second wife of Michael Evans. Robert Evans, James's father is the great-great-grandson of Michael and his first wife. They're cousins of some sort, but to what degree, I'm not sure._

_If the Main characters seem too powerful to you, you need to read Interlude, and meet the Patient Child. Melissa's Healing talent, Adam's Strategic skills, Emma's atheletic fearlessness, and James's ability to adapt spells, rolled up in one person, with no conscience, morals or compassion. Add to that mix the fact that the Patient Child is at least as smart as Hermione Granger-Weasley, and possibly as smart as Lisa, and you have an enemy that will tax the Eight to their utmost._

_dnd4ever__:_

_Grape Ape? Grin James would never steal an idea like that, he's simply got a Purple Primate. (The Author saw an old H/B catoon that had Grape Ape in it, and couldn't resist the idea. Raven)_


	24. Calm before the Storm

**_Calm before the Storm._**

Hagrid returned to Hogwarts Monday afternoon, and James and Rose were sent for soon thereafter. Hagrid was in Professor Dumbledore's office, and he looked uneasy. He handed James the book as soon as James and Rose closed the door. "I don't know what's in that book," he said, "but the next time you need it moved, get someone else to do it."

James looked at Hagrid, and then at the book in his hands. It was a normal looking book, of brown leather. It would not have caught their eye two years ago, except for the gilt along the edges and down the spine. Cleverly hidden in the gilt and designs was an Evans family sign, used by the people that knew about the Codex, to identify themselves to one another. James and Rose looked at each other and shrugged. To them, it was merely a book.

Albus Dumbledore noted their confusion, and asked Hagrid what was wrong with the book. Hagrid avoided looking at the book as he answered. "I don't know, but from the moment I picked it up, it felt like the book didn't like me having it, and wanted to be with someone else. Is that thing alive?"

Rose cocked her head, and got the absent expression of someone using the link, a sight everyone present was very familiar with. She stopped, and looked at the Headmaster. "Would you hold the book for a minute, Sir?" she asked. "I just need to know if you feel the same way."

Professor Dumbledore took the book from James and knew instantly what Hagrid meant. Merely taking the book in his hands made the flesh crawl, and the hair at the back of his neck stand up. He reported what he felt to Rose, as he handed the book back to James, who blinked and suddenly looked amused. He looked at Rose, who had the absent expression again. "It's an aversion hex, isn't it?"

Rose nodded, and looked at Hagrid. "It's a spell, adapted from the ones used everywhere to keep Muggles away from things. It simply keeps people that aren't keyed to the item from wanting to use or touch it."

Hagrid grimaced. "It works, too."

James was regarding the book thoughtfully. "I'd really like to know how it's keyed. It might make a difference in how we study it, if we're the only ones that can touch it."

Rose grinned at him. "I'll bet you a minor favor, that it's keyed to every member of Chimera."

James thought for a minute. "In that case, I really want to know. I can think of some interesting uses for a spell like that, especially if you can cast it on an area." He smiled fondly at Rose, "Not to mention, you could ward your window seat."

Rose was speaking to Melissa with the link, asking her to check the Evans family spellbook in Manticore Hall's lab for the Aversion Hex. She raised an eyebrow. "Why? Nobody sits in it anymore, except you and I."

James laughed. "Maybe that's because the Finnigan twins changed color, shape and size more often than Emma and Hangeld after you caught them in your window?" he suggested. He smiled again at the memory, and the stopped, regarding Rose thoughtfully. She hadn't mentioned that Melissa used the window seat as well, and he wondered if it was an oversight, or if she was even aware that she allowed Melissa to do it.

Tiffany spoke in the back of his head. _"Leave it alone, Love. It will happen, or it won't, and there's nothing we can do about it anyway."_ Tiffany was referring to the lines of the Prophecy that said, "Travails, Sorrow and Loss shall be their Fate, Unless within each other they find Heart's Mate."

There were conflicting ideas about these lines. One group felt that the lines referred to the close-knit bonds formed be people that went to combat together, while the second group thought that the lines meant the Eight would form four couples. Since there were three boys and five girls in the Eight, that left two girls out of what most of the world, including almost every Wizard over thirty years old considered a 'decent' relationship. Since that might affect how people looked at Manticore, James worried about it often. He also worried about Rose, but he knew that she would have enough support to deal with it, so the Manticore thing was more pressing.

James was one of the people that believed the Eight would form four couples, and watching the rest of Chimera, Tiffany and he could see the couples forming, even though the people involved didn't know it yet, as far as James could tell. Emma and Hangeld of course, and Adam and Lisa were spending a lot of time together. That left James and Tiffany, and their being a couple was a forgone conclusion with the Soulbond.

The only ones left were Rose and Melissa, and James had noted that Rose was beginning to favor Melissa in little ways, such as letting her sit in the window seat that Albus Dumbledore had created for her in Manticore Hall. Tiffany couldn't even sit there, not even when James was using it. _"Not that I care, it simply means that we get to share the love seat more often."_

James sent a mental smile to Tiffany. _"Do you hear me complaining? I like holding you too, Greeneyes."_ James and Tiffany had found in the first few weeks of the Soulbond that the Soulbond caused a need to touch each other, even if it was nothing more than holding hands. The more contact they had, the better they felt. James had a sudden image of them entwined, lying on a bed together. Tiffany followed his thought with interest. James pulled back from the thought, focusing on the book. He sent one last thought to Tiffany. _"We'll continue that line of thought later, Greeneyes."_

_"We better, that was… interesting."_ Tiffany's mental tone held undercurrents and unspoken promises that made James shiver with pleasure.

He blushed as he realized that Professor Dumbledore was holding the book out to him, and patiently waiting for him to notice. While the linked people were normally aware of what was going on around them while they used the links, James and Tiffany were entering a new facet of the Soulbond, and it was increasing hard to concentrate on anything else when they used their private Soulbond link, and even harder when they started thinking about each other. He took the book, and opened it to the first page he could read.

He looked at Hagrid. "What do you know about the Heart of the World?"

Hagrid looked at him. "Very little, actually. Nobody really knows that much, except the Earth Mages among the Giants. It is a magic focus that amplifies a spell, sometimes. It moves around a lot, never staying in one place for more than four days, and it can appear anywhere, even in the Muggle world. Sometimes it appears at places like Stonehenge, or the Pyramids of Egypt or Central America. Usually, it appears in places like the Giantlands, or other areas of high magical concentration." He looked at Albus and coughed. "It was even here at Hogwarts, once. It was in the Forbidden Forest."

Professor Dumbledore looked at Hagrid. "Twice, actually. It was here the year before you started school."

James frowned. "Hangeld said it can't be predicted, which makes this an interesting thing, as whatever this is, it must be cast at the Heart of the World on Midsummer's night."

Tiffany had taken the book from James, and was reading the third page. "Actually, the entire ritual takes three days." She said as she read. "And here's something else strange. I can read the first two pages easily."

James looked over her shoulder. "I can read the third page now."

Rose thought about that, and leafed through the book, stopping at the ninth page, which was the second page she could read. After she finished it, she passed it to James and Tiffany, who could both read it. "So, we have each Chimera read their pages, and then any of us can read the whole thing and figure out what it is, and what it does," said James. He looked at Rose. "Will you take care of that?"

Rose nodded, and took the book. Since the Headmaster didn't have anything else for them, they headed back to Manticore Hall, where Rose sat in her window and began reading every eighth page in the book.

James looked around the Hall, and smiled. After two years, Manticore had ironed out most of the minor problems, and was running smoothly, with the team leaders rarely having to come to Chimera to fix something. Since there wasn't anything pressing for him to deal with, he was debating what to do, when Tiffany slipped a brush into his hands. _"Manticore may be fine,"_ she said, as she settled in front of him, _"but my hair hasn't been done all day."_ James smiled, even as he started brushing her hair in a routine that was as automatic as breathing now. They settled into their rapport.

Alexander Evans took over the Giant classes from Blacklegs, who left to return to the borders, carrying a parchment from Sonya and Mary to their parents.

Besides the classes in the Borders, Alexander was always willing to talk to any of the Manticores about Strategy and Tactics, and James encouraged the Team leaders to take advantage of that. This led to an informal Wednesday night gathering, where classic Muggle and Wizard battles were dissected and studied. All of the Team leaders attended, and most of the seconds as well. Mercy, Jerrick, Emily and a few more Manticores also attended, and a couple of the Manticores that had left school already asked Professor Dumbledore for permission to attend.

Alexander left off carrying his sword, but still dressed in the leather clothing that was an unofficial Ranger uniform, as it allowed complete mobility while offering some protection from terrain and sword cuts. This kept the students from trying anything Magical in his class, even though he was a Squib. After a Slytherin pureblood tried a Jellylegs spell on him one weekend, and was rewarded with a face full of pepper spray, unconsciousness, and a trip to the Infirmary, the word got around Hogwarts quickly that it was better for your health not to point your wand at the new Professor. That didn't even include the detentions the unfortunate student had to serve with Professor Evans, or the lecture he got from Madame Potter after he woke up in the Infirmary.

James listened to the story, and grinned. He could have told anyone that asked that Alexander didn't need magic to defend himself. He did frown as he thought about the story. He looked at Jerrick, who had recited the story. "Wait a minute, pepper spray doesn't caused unconsciousness, how did that happen?"

Jerrick shrugged. "I'm not really sure, as I didn't see it, but a witness said that after Professor Evans pepper sprayed the Slytherin, there was some sort of contact, the Slytherin ended up unconscious and Professor Evans had his wand."

James raised an eyebrow. "Please don't tell me anyone was stupid enough to try and get physical with a Ranger."

Jerrick shook his head. "As far as I can tell from questioning the witnesses, Professor Evans instigated the contact."

James smiled slightly. He quoted one of Alexander's favorite sayings, "When is it safe to assume the enemy can't hurt you?"

Jerrick grinned. "Apparently, after he's unconscious and you have his wand."

They shared a laugh, and then James turned the subject to the new first years that Manticore was interested in. "What have you found out about the first years?"

Jerrick reached into his robes, and pulled out his notebook. Flipping through it, he stopped and skimmed a page. "Ander Drone is clean, and so boringly average that I'm claiming him for Intell. He'll be the perfect spy, if he can be trained. I'll have to check with Rose on that."

Jerrick looked up, but James only shrugged, and Jerrick continued. "Avery McIlhenny is also clean, as are the two Potters." James listened to Tiffany say something in his head at the last comment, and smiled. Jerrick caught the smile, and guessed the cause. "You can tell your other half that even in families, people can be totally different. Look at Lisa and Draco Jr."

Jerrick waited, but Tiffany didn't say anything that James would pass along, so Jerrick looked back at his notes. "Harry Kitchen will probably join his sister in the research department, and that might be a good thing, as he's not the bookworm she is."

James grinned wryly. "That's a good thing. I can barely keep one Emily out of the lab after hours, two would be impossible to deal with."

Jerrick grinned back. "You won't have that problem with Harry, I don't think."

He looked at his notes again. "Now, we do have a minor problem with Stephanie Spense. She's one of the Spenses of Marrowwind."

James frowned. Marrowwind sounded familiar for some reason, and then Tiffany reminded him where he'd heard the name. The Spenses were an old Wizard family, one of the oldest in the European Wizard world, and the current head of that family was one of the most visible supporters of the Pureblood ideas. Marrowwind was a small community, consisting only of 'good' families, and Pureblood Wizards. Muggleborn Wizards and even Wizards that had a Muggle ancestor in the last four generations weren't allowed to live there.

James frowned. "Wait, she was wearing those shoes, the ones with lights in them. Where did she get them?"

Jerrick looked at his notes again. "According to Ariel, she got them from a trader that comes through Marrowwind every few months, some sort of Gypsy."

James nodded, and looked at Jerrick. "Did she cast the spell that keeps them working, or did she get them that way?"

"She got them like that, and I've already started looking for that Gypsy." Jerrick said. "His name is Rowan, and I've sent owls to Jose Amigo and my father, asking if they can look for him, and convince him to show up here. I said there were some students here that would make it worth his while to add Hogsmeade or Hogwarts to his travels." Jerrick looked at James, and shifted uncomfortably. "I hope you don't mind."

James blinked. "Mind about what?"

Jerrick sighed. "I pretty much promised that you and Rose would make a large order or two, since you two have all that money."

James shrugged, still not understanding what Jerrick was worried about. "If he can enchant Muggle things so they work anywhere in the Wizard world, I'll pay almost anything he wants. If he won't sell the spell, then I'll be paying him to enchant almost everything Manticore has."

Jerrick looked at James for a long moment. "I am never going to understand your thinking towards money," he said before continuing with the first years. "You already know about Raven, and I can't add much to what you know from the papers."

James sighed. "That's not actually a lot. I was hoping to learn more."

Jerrick shrugged. "Her father is a private person. His house isn't even on the Floo Network, and only his friends know where he actually lives. I'm looking into it, but the papers have been looking for his house for nearly five years, so don't expect anything soon." Jerrick looked up, realizing James wasn't looking at him anymore, and turned to look in the direction James was looking. "Well, speak of the devil," he muttered.

Standing in the doorway of Manticore Hall were three of the first years. Raven Wood, Stephanie Spense and Morgana Campbell were standing there, looking around. Stephanie Spense appeared to be looking for someone, while the other two were just looking around. Stephanie saw who she was looking for, and started walking into the room. The other two followed her, although Raven was still looking around. Stephanie stopped by the Pegasus table, and said something to Ariel Fairstone.

Ariel looked at her for a second, and then looked over at Chimera's table. She called James on the ring. "James," she said, in a voice that held equal parts disbelief and laughter, "she wants an introduction to her equals, by which she apparently means you and Rose."

James's first thought was tinged with enough anger that Tiffany started soothing him with their Soulbond. "What makes her better than anybody else?" He stopped and considered the younger girl's position. "Well then," he said in a deceptively mild voice that had Jerrick looking nervous, "I suggest you bring her over. I'm sure we can find something to discuss."

As Ariel and the three girls walked to Chimera's table, Jerrick sighed. "James, be nice. It's not really her fault she was raised by Pureblood bigots."

"I've got him, Jerrick." Tiffany had come up from behind them and slipped into the loveseat with James. Jerrick got up as the girls approached and slipped away. Ariel stopped in front of James, and looked at him for a second, looking for the signs of his temper that most of the Manticores were very familiar with, before speaking. "James, may I introduce Stephanie Spense?"

James stood up, and held out his hand. "Good day Miss Spense," he said, "It's a pleasure."

Stephanie took his hand for a minute. "Thank you, Mr. Evans. My father told me to make your acquaintance as soon as possible."

James was consulting with Tiffany, who knew the European families better than he did. "Mr. Alvin Spense, I believe? Head of the Marrowwind Spenses, currently listed fourth in the Book of Gold?" The Book of Gold was a list of the oldest families in a region of the Wizard world, and only listed the oldest families, in an order based on bloodlines, money and social status.

"Indeed," Stephanie said, "as I believe the Evans are in the Colonial Book." It took James a minute to realize that she had just called America a colony and Tiffany's hand on his back kept him from saying any of his instant responses. His anger though, still simmered and it was to allow it a minute to calm that he turned to the other girls.

"Hello," he said, "I'm James Evans, and you are?" James knew both of them of course, but he wasn't about to let on that he did, as they might begin to wonder why.

Morgana Campbell held out her hand. "I'm Morgana Campbell. It's nice to meet you." This was James's first close look at Morgana, and he took a minute to examine her. She was a short girl, with pale skin that contrasted well with the long black hair she wore in a simple yet elegant style. Looking into her reddish-brown eyes, James could see amusement there.

He turned to the last girl. She grinned at him, and put out her hand, but her voice threw the picture off. It was a near copy of Stephanie's voice. "Pleased to meet you Mr. Evans, I'm Raven Wood." James smiled slightly as he caught the faintly sarcastic tone and realized she was mocking Stephanie. James was also surprised at the strength of her grip. While it was not up to his, it was extraordinary for a Wizard girl of her age. He made a mental note to have somebody find out about her hobbies when she made it unnecessary. "I was up early this morning, and saw the groups practicing Aikido. Would it be possible to join you, since the other students say that's a Manticore thing?"

James blinked. "You recognize it?"

Raven nodded. "Yes, although I haven't studied it. My father is a Kempo Karate black belt, and I've been studying that."

James smiled. "Sean Wood is a Kempo black belt? I knew he had some training, but I didn't know he was that highly ranked."

Raven looked at him for a second, and then sighed. "You're a fan, aren't you?" She accused. "Please tell me you're not going to start asking about his stunts."

James blushed, since that had indeed been his thought. "I was, but if it's a problem, I can resist."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Please do. It's so annoying. Famous parents are a pain."

Tiffany grinned at her from the loveseat. "I know exactly what you mean." She affected a gushing tone. "You're the daughter of Harry Potter? Tell me, what did he have for breakfast this morning?"

Raven giggled. "Exactly."

James turned to the Phoenix table, looking for Mercy. When he saw her, he motioned her over. "Mercy, would you allow Miss Wood to join your group in the morning?"

Mercy smiled. "Of course." She looked at Raven. "Come with me, and we'll find somebody to get with you in the morning and bring you to our group." The two girls walked away chatting.

Morgana spoke up. "Excuse me, but I was told that this was the most likely place to find my cousin, Connor McCloud? Could you tell me where he might be?"

James looked over at the Pegasus table, looking for Connor, when Ariel spoke up hastily. "James, he's in the lab."

James blinked and then realized Ariel meant Manticore's lab, in the room the first years couldn't see. He thought for a second, and then Tiffany made a suggestion. _"James, have Ariel fetch him, and Melissa can keep her occupied until Ariel and he are out of the lab."_

James acted on that, asking Ariel to go and get him, while Melissa distracted Morgana with a question about exactly how they were related.

A little calmer now, James turned back to Stephanie. "My apologies, would you care to sit and chat?" James was very interested in finding out just how snobbish she was, and how much of a problem it would be.

Stephanie sat in a chair and looked around. "I am given to understand that The Fraternal Order of Manticore is getting quite the reputation."

James froze. "Oh?"

Stephanie nodded. "My father says that your group has the best OWL average in the world, despite its youth."

James was truly surprised about that. He looked around for Emily, and had one of the Manticores fetch her.

While the Dragon was looking for her, James, Tiffany and Stephanie chatted. After about twenty minutes, James was very certain of one thing. Stephanie had never been allowed to think for herself. Almost everything she said was prefaced with, "My father says".

Tiffany excused herself for a minute, and went to speak to Jerrick, following up on a hunch. _"James, according to Jerrick, she was educated in Marrowwind by tutors. I think we can assume they would not have taught her anything her father didn't want her knowing. She may find that not everything is as her father says."_

_"I hope so. If you ignore the Pureblood bigotry, she doesn't seem to be too bad. I think we'll have to throw her together with somebody that can open her eyes gently." _James was wondering who would be best for that, when Raven came back to the table.

She looked over her shoulder, and appeared to be counting under her breath. James and Tiffany followed her line of sight in time to see almost every person around the Phoenix table suddenly acquire the startling electric blue hair that had marked the three Slytherins during the Sorting ceremony.

_"I like her."_ James grinned at Tiffany's comment.

Raven had sat down, and was watching the commotion at the Phoenix table with a smile. Before James could say anything, Emily came up and sat down, saying, "You wanted to see me?"

James took his eyes off the Phoenix table. "Emily, what do you know about the OWL averages?"

Tiffany groaned in James's head. _"James, you know better. You can't ask Emily an open question like that."_

Emily had started reciting the history of the OWLs, and how the averages were collected from each school when James interrupted her. "I'm sorry Emily, what I wanted to know was the OWL average for Manticore."

Emily frowned, and thought for a second. "Manticore has only had six people take the OWLs that had been in Manticore for a full year, but those six averaged Exceptional in their OWLs. We've also had nine people take the NEWTs, and they also averaged Exceptional."

James grinned. "So Manticore works better than I thought it would."

Emily started to say something, and then looked at the two girls she didn't know. "It works very well, maybe too well. In fact, have you seen this morning's Daily Prophet?"

James caught the hesitation, and glanced at the two girls before replying. "No, why? Is there something interesting there?"

"The Minister of Magic gave an interview, and there is a comment about Manticore that you might find…" Emily stopped, searching for the right word. "Annoying."

James considered her careful words, and her slightly apprehensive look. "Who has a copy of the paper? I think I'll go look at it." He stood up. "If you ladies will excuse me, business calls." James left in search of the day's paper.

Emily left as well, leaving Tiffany and Melissa with the two young girls. They chatted a few more minutes, and then Raven left, saying she hadn't seen the lake yet, or most of the castle.

Stephanie excused herself a few minutes later, and Tiffany and Melissa looked at each other. _"What do you think about them, Melissa?"_

_"Raven can't sit still."_ Melissa said dryly.

Tiffany giggled. _"No, really? I never would have noticed that."_ Raven had been in constant motion, even if it was only swinging her legs when she was sitting. _"Maybe she swallowed a perpetual motion machine."_

_"It looks like it. The other girl, though, she's going to be a problem. She really believes that Purebloods are better than other people, even if she doesn't come right out and say it."_

Tiffany frowned thoughtfully. _"Did you notice where her opinions came from?"_

_"How could anyone miss it? I was about to ask her if she ever said anything her father hadn't said first."_

Before they could say anything else, a spike of anger washed over the links. _"Son of a Bitch. I want Chimera, the team leaders and Alexander in the lab in five minutes." _Tiffany was absorbing what had angered James so badly even as Chimera started collecting the people he wanted.

Melissa turned in surprise as she swore in turn. Tiffany was tight lipped, as she looked at Melissa. "Minister Fudge is sending a team to watch the Manticores, and see if Manticore should become an official project of the Ministry of Magic."


	25. Rising winds

**_Rising winds_**

Alexander Evans noted two things as he entered Manticore Hall. All of the leaders were missing, and the remaining Manticores were gathering in small groups. They had the slightly guilty looks of children caught with one hand in the cookie jar, but under that was spreading anger. He quickened his stride as he crossed the Hall to the hidden door that concealed the Lab where Manticore practiced the Magics and practices that were not taught at Hogwarts. He opened the door and nearly collided with James.

James was pacing up and down the warded corridor that separated the various areas of the lab from each other and didn't even see Alexander come in. Alexander watched James, recognizing the signs of James battling his temper. He walked into the Library section of the room, and grinned at the group gathered there. "Did somebody tell James that the Mountain Cats aren't in the play-offs again?" Alexander was referring to an American Quidditch team that James followed avidly. Melissa handed him a copy of the Daily Prophet, and pointed out the article silently.

A few seconds of reading brought Alexander to Minister Fudge's quote, and he read it three times as his mind processed all the implications of the statement.

"_The Ministry of Magic has taken note of the remarkable results of the fledgling Fraternal Order of Manticore results in both the OWLs and the NEWTs. While it is early to tell, the results posted so far are quite interesting. The Ministry is going to be studying the Order this year, to decide if they have any methods that would be of use to the schools of the world in general."_

Alexander closed his eyes and thought quickly. Manticore had gotten away with the deception of an Educational Society only because all the adults in Hogwarts were in on the deception, and hadn't said anything. Any outside wizards that spent more than a day or two with the Manticores was going to notice something was up, and would figure out that the Manticores were being trained in War Magic in less than a week. That would not be a good thing at this stage. They had to have at least another year, possibly two before Manticore would be strong enough to survive without any Ministry help, and despite Ministry interference.

James came back to the library and sat in the chair Tiffany was sitting in. They looked at each other for the briefest second, and then James turned to the group. "We have to control this at the school. My father has some plans that would make our task a lot harder, if it becomes necessary for him to get involved, and I'd rather stay in the shadows another year or two anyway." He considered what he'd just said and amended it slightly. "Actually, I would prefer to stay in the shadows until our first assault on the Patient Child's forces."

Ron Stone looked up, regarding James curiously, and with a trace of apprehension in his eyes. "Pardon me, but did you just say that there are things you wound rather not do to protect Manticore? What exactly is your father planning, than makes you hesitate?"

Alexander knew about his brother's plans, and he quite agreed with Tiffany. "So, how do we contain the problem here?" Ron Stone subsided as Alexander changed the subject slightly, turning his mind to the problem at hand, while making a mental note to ask Jerrick about it later.

Rose was thinking the problem through, and applying her Sight to each of the possibilities, and Lisa's quicker mind allowed her to start summing the scenarios first. "Best case, we could induct the entire team into Manticore, and stop worrying about it. Next best case, we can get the leader of the group to join us, and allow that person to control what his group says or reports."

James and Rose had been talking over their private link, and now Tiffany started vocalizing what the twins were thinking. "The first thing we're going to need is the names of the team, and then we can set Jerrick on them. If we can use them, well and good. If not, we'll have to result to other methods. I would prefer to keep our reputation straight, but bribery is rarely reported, unless they get caught with the money."

The rest of the group was used to this, and started discussing possibilities based on the information coming from the twins. Mercy had a quill and parchment out, jotting notes as the group talked. Alexander watched quietly as he thought over the broader picture. The kids were only worried about how this would affect Manticore, but Alexander was the focal point of information from the adults working throughout Europe, and he had to consider who might be in danger of discovery.

He wrote some notes as he watched the Manticores working through all the possibilities that Rose and James were throwing out. Alexander was trying to figure out which people he'd have to warn right away and which ones could be warned later, if it looked like Manticore was going to be exposed.

Alexander watched as the leaders of Manticore decided how they would deal with the problem. James's suggestion that simply removing the root of the problem, by discrediting Minister Fudge was met with smiles, until the rest of the group figured out that he was serious. They persuaded him that doing anything like that might be extreme at this point.

The meeting broke up about an hour later, and the various leaders went off to their teams to inform them of the problem and what the leaders had decided.

James and Rose went to Chimera's table with Tiffany. Rose sat in her window as James and Tiffany went to their favorite loveseat. _"James, how long can we hold your father off?"_ Tiffany was frowning slightly as she thought about the contingency plans in James's head.

"_I don't know, Greeneyes. A lot of it will be how well Manticore stays ahead of the situation, and how far undercover we stay."_ James was thinking hard, talking with Tiffany and Rose at the same time. Rose was writing a letter to their father, informing him of what Manticore was doing and telling him to hold off on doing anything until they had the names of the research team.

James finished the discussions with the two girls and turned to watch the Manticores. The team leaders had told them all what was going on, and James was mildly surprised to find them relaxed. _"Why are they so calm?" _he asked Tiffany.

"_They trust you, James. You'll take care of them."_

James closed his eyes. _"What are we going to do when I fail? When one of them gets hurt, because they trusted me?"_ James had been taught as well as a veteran of thirty years of Muggle and Wizard wars could do, and he knew very well that only in stories do the good guys win without anybody getting hurt.

"_James, they understand the risks as well as you do, and they understand that you are going to do everything in your power to protect them. All you have to do is your best." _Tiffany told him.

James was unconvinced, but allowed Tiffany to have the last word as he began looking over the files Jerrick was building on the first year students. Most of them were rather boring, as most people come from average families that don't hold a lot of interest for intelligence gatherers.

He did spend some time reading the younger Draco's file though. While he had already seen the file Jerrick had on Lisa, and much of this information was the same, he was looking for anything new. He looked over at Lisa, and sent her a thought. _"Lisa, what do you think of your brother? Is he worth saving?"_

Lisa looked up from her book and stared at James. _"He's a human being, James. Of course he is worth saving."_

"_Do you remember the story Rose and I told you about why we altered the Twinbond in the first place?" _James asked. _"Would you say that person was worth saving?"_

Lisa frowned as she thought about the story behind the Twins' changing the bond so it would carry words and thoughts, rather than emotions. _"Maybe he wasn't, but my brother is not that bad yet. We can save him."_ Lisa looked at James with a somber expression. _"You're not going to interfere, are you?"_

"_No. I want him to be on our side for your sake at least."_

James and Lisa talked for a few more minutes, until Rose interrupted them to have Lisa read her pages in the book. James turned back to the paperwork that any organization creates and skimmed through it. Most of it was simple, requests for expendable supplies and the like, but one or two were more important, like the list of Manticore's next of kin. James was folding that list and putting it safely away when he became aware that the Hall was very quiet.

He looked up to see Rose smiling at him. "James, Brother Mine, I have decided that we're going to show Manticore how to play properly. So get up, and prepare to have your ... tush handed to you."

James was already rising. He stood in front of Rose and grinned at her. "Have you been working on a potion with Emma?"

Rose blinked at the strange question. "No, why?"

James smirked at Rose, as he slipped out of his robes, revealing the Manticore uniform underneath them. "I just thought maybe some potion fumes would explain where you got the delusion that you could beat me."

Rose was slipping her robes off as she replied. "So I'm stoned, am I?" she said. "You might be right." She mused. "You have size, height and weight, but then, I have something you don't."

James looked sharply at Rose as she made the last statement. Her voice and emotions had changed as she spoke. He had barely registered the change when she jumped on him, reaching for that spot on his lower ribs that was so sensitive. He caught her hands and pushed her off him, as a thought from Tiffany made him pause.

Tiffany was reading a scroll that Rose had handed her just as she challenged James, and Tiffany was just finishing it. James turned to look at his Soulbonded as she made her decision, and jumped on his back.

Rose redoubled her struggles as Tiffany joined her. "I told you I had something you didn't. I have allies."

The two girls buried James in a giggling pile. Rose knew every ticklish spot on James, and since Tiffany could feel what tickled him the most, she knew them as well. Between laughing and trying to fend off four hands, James was losing until he got Tiffany's head in his hands and kissed her. While he kissed her, he deliberately flooded their Soulbond with what he felt for Tiffany. Tiffany pulled back. _"That's cheating, James_" sheaccused.

"_All's fair in love and war, and this game appears to be both."_ James grinned as he held Rose off.

"_Really? Then this should be fair also,"_ Tiffany said. She bent down and kissed James, running her hands over his chest. James lost Rose's hands, and Rose took advantage of his distraction to get his ribs on both sides.

James jerked as her fingers found the most sensitive spot under his ribs, and jerked, trying to twist away from Rose's fingers. In doing so, he hit Tiffany in the nose with his forehead, sending a wave of pain through both their noses. Tiffany and James stopped, and Rose stopped a second later as the Twinbond told her what had happened.

Tiffany was holding her nose, and blood was starting to leak out from between her fingers, which was only to be expected, but the blood coming from James's nose caught them all by surprise.

Melissa was already moving toward them, and she used her Healing talent to stop the flow from Tiffany's nose while she looked at James. _"A little earlier than I had expected, but a good sign."_

"_Excuse me? You expected this?" _asked James as he pinched his nose to stop the bleeding.

"_Of course," _Melissa said calmly, as she finished with Tiffany, and moved over to James. "_It happens to all Soulbonded in their third or fourth year, and is the last_ _physical sign that your Soulbond is complete. Maybe this will calm you down some."_

"_Are you trying to tell me that every time I get hurt, Tiffany is going to get hurt the same way?"_

"_James is going to get every injury I get?"_

Melissa blinked as both of them flooded her link with questions at the same time, and answered them both as she finished Healing James. _"Exactly. Your bodies are now completely in tune with each other, and anything that happens to one of you will happen to the other."_

"_Melissa, please tell me I'm not going to start bleeding once a month." _Tiffany choked as she thought about James's question, and James was staring at Melissa, waiting for her answer.

Melissa smiled, as she pulled out her notebook and started writing more notes on the Soulbond. _"Actually, I don't know. None of the research goes into that level of detail, and it has been a matter of debate in the family for some time now. I'm so glad I get to settle the debate once and for all."_

James and Tiffany looked at each other, and Tiffany was torn between sympathy for her other half, and amusement at his rising panic as he tried to remember how long it had been since Tiffany's last time. _"James, don't worry about it, you've got nine or ten days before you can do anything about it anyway."_

"_Greeneyes, in case you haven't noticed, I am not built to do that. I am just a little concerned about where I am going to start bleeding from, if I do."_ James sighed, as he rubbed his eyes. _"I wish Elric and Cassandra would make another of those after death appearances to talk to us, instead of just leaving cryptic books behind. Or at least leave their diary behind. These side effects of the Soulbond would be easier to deal with if I knew they were coming."_

Tiffany moved over and sat in the loveseat with James. Leaning her head on his shoulder, she began soothing him. They relaxed, discussing this new facet of the bond as Tiffany got James to sit in front of her so she could brush his hair.

The days passed, and James was unable to hide his relief when it turned out that he would not be bleeding once a month, an event that gave no small amusement to the rest of Chimera.

As November turned into December, Albus Dumbledore brought the names of the Ministry people that would be showing up after the winter holidays. Jerrick started more of his files, and started finding out everything they could about the five people Minister Fudge was sending.

Emma and Hangeld were working in the Lab on the first Saturday in December, trying another of Emma's endless experiments when something unexpected happened. Hangeld was cutting some roots for their potion while Emma set up the small cauldron they would be using for the experiment, and barely noticed when Emma picked up her wand to light the fire under the cauldron.

"Incendio" Emma said, pointing her wand at the cauldron, just as she'd done a hundred times before. She blinked when nothing happened, and tried again. When the cauldron didn't light again, she checked to make sure she had her wand, and not someone else's first. Then she set her wand down and checked the cauldron for one of the prank disks that were starting to show up all over the school as the Green Flower line became popular. When she didn't find anything, she stood back and regarded the cauldron irritably. "Why won't you burn?" she asked it. As she spoke the word burn, a tingle ran down her arm and the cauldron ignited.

Emma froze, staring at the cauldron and her wand, which was still lying next to the cauldron, while she thought about what had just happened. Everyone knew that controlled magic without a wand was simply not possible, but something had just happened.

"Are you ready for the roots?" asked Hangeld, moving up behind her, and breaking her concentration.

Emma shook her head, and looked at him. She picked up her wand and looked at the potion list she was working from. "Not yet, we have to bring the first two to a slow simmer first."

Emma and Hangeld spend another two hours on the potion, and since Emma's wand worked normally on the few occasions when she used it, she gradually forgot the strange event. They actually managed to finish the experiment without any accidents, and trooped down to Hagrid's cabin to see if he would allow them to try it on a couple of the animals he had.

Hagrid listened to their request and then looked at the potion bottle Emma was carrying dubiously. "You want to dose one of my beasties with one of your experiments?" he asked, scratching his head. "I don't know about that. I've heard a lot of stories about your experiments, and I'd rather not let you turn one of my friends into something else."

Emma blushed, but spoke up quickly. "The potion only lasts a couple of hours, and it's very harmless. All it's supposed to do is calm an animal down, and reduce it to one quarter of its normal size. It's supposed to be an aid in moving Dragons and other large creatures that can be aggressive."

Hangeld smiled at his father, adding his say. "You can be there the entire time, and if anything goes wrong, we'll fix it before dinner."

Hagrid looked toward the ceiling. "Maybe so, but the only animals here right now are small enough as is, and none of them are very emotional."

Hangeld grinned at his father, and lowered his voice. "Father, I know better than that. I know about your pens in the forest."

Hagrid flushed and looked at Emma. "I suppose you know about them as well?"

Emma shrugged. "Hangeld might have mentioned something about it, but since I'm not allowed in the forest, it wouldn't matter to me, now would it?" She looked around, and then smiled impishly at Hagrid. "Besides, my father is convinced that you have populated the entire forest with," Emma chewed on her bottom lip, thinking about the names she was looking for, "Blast bottom skinks, or something like that anyway."

Hagrid looked puzzled for a minute and then smiled. "Your father meant the Blast-Ended Skrewts. No, there aren't any of those in the Forest." Hagrid looked wistful for a minute. "I wish there were, I've thought of a couple of tricks to teach them."

Hagrid finally agreed to let them dose one of the animals, and led them into the forest behind his cabin. They walked a short distance into the forest, and Hagrid led them into a grove. Inside the grove were several pens made of large logs and stones. Most of them were empty, but ominous roars and growls were coming from a couple of them.

Hagrid stopped in front of one of them, and smiled as the beast inside hurled itself against the wall of the pen, causing it to shake. "I've been needing to get into Flower's pen for a few days, but she's a bit irritable right now, and I haven't been able to."

Emma listened to the roars from the pen and turned to Hagrid. "Flower?" she said, making the name a question.

Hagrid smiled, as he pulled a large slab of meat from the bag he had been carrying. "Aye, and the wee girl is one of the finest Manticores I've ever had the pleasure of seeing."

Emma blinked, and then grinned. "You have a real Manticore in there?"

"Aye, and don't you be telling that Yank of yours. He'd be trying to train the poor girl for this war of ours, and she's a peaceful beastie most of the time. Right now she's just in heat, and can't get any relief." Hagrid stared at Emma and Hangeld until they agreed not to tell James about the Manticore. He made a cut in the meat and Emma poured the potion in the cavity. Hagrid threw the meat over the fence, and they settled down to wait as a loud chomp and chewing sounds told them that the bait had been taken.

They didn't have to wait long. The growls from the pen began lower and less angry sounding, and in just a few minutes, they settled down into a low purr. Hagrid opened the pen cautiously, and peered inside. He smiled, and looked back at the two students. "If you want to see her, she seems calm enough."

Emma got up and looked inside the enclosure. She looked at the Manticore and back at Hagrid. "Did the potion's shrinking effect fail? I thought a Manticore was only the size of a horse." The Manticore inside the pen was just a little smaller than a horse.

Hagrid smiled as he walked over and began scratching the Manticore's back between the wings, an action that caused Flower to spread her wings out and lower her head to the ground, allowing Hagrid better access. "Aye, it worked. Didn't I say she was one of the finest Manticores I'd ever seen?"

Hagrid regarded Flower carefully. "Although, I don't think she's a quarter of her normal size. It looks more like a third."

Emma nodded, already making notes about the potion. "Would you check her over and tell me if you find anything wrong with her please?"

Emma made notes while Hangeld helped his father carefully move the Manticore's paws and wings so that Hagrid could touch and probe various places on the animal. Emma looked up as Hagrid's voice became a bit concerned, and watched in bemusement as Hagrid put his arm in the Manticore's mouth nearly to the elbow. "She's very dry. I think this potion of yours dehydrates her a bit."

Hagrid finished his examination and went to the stone walled cave he had built in the pen. "I've got a couple of things to do here, watch Flower while I work."

Emma nodded absently, as she tried to figure out why the potion was dehydrating the animal. Hangeld stayed by the animal, talking to her in a low voice while he scratched between the wings as he'd seen his father doing.

It was about an hour later when the peaceful scene was broken suddenly. Hangeld had been grooming the Manticore's wings, and in moving around her, he stepped on her slowly twitching tail.

Flower took exception to that, and showed her displeasure with an instinctive attack. Her tail ended in an oblong ball, and it had a number of quills in it. When Hangeld stepped on her tail, she snarled and released three of them at the source of her pain.

Hangeld groaned in pain, and Emma felt a dim pain as the Chimera link relayed what was happening. She looked up as Hangeld looked down, and both of them saw the three quills buried in Hangeld's thigh. Emma watched in horror as Hangeld staggered and fell over.


	26. Rose's Gambit

**_Rose's gambit_**

James and the rest of the Chimera link were spread out all over the castle when Emma's sending flooded the link. James and Tiffany were in Manticore Hall, and they left at a run, drawing a few more Manticores with them, since the only time anyone had seen that look on James's face, violent things had followed soon after.

Adam and Lisa had been down on the Quidditch Pitch, and they had their Broomsticks with them, which gave them a large head start, at least until they saw where the feel of Emma was taking them. "_James, shes in the Forbidden Forest for some reason,"_ Adam reported.

_"Damn it. What is she doing there?" _James said, and then moved to more important matters. "_It doesn't matter. Stay at the edge of the Forest until we get to you, unless you have to go in. If you do, be careful."_

Melissa and Rose had been with a couple of the younger Manticores, helping them with some school work, and were just barely behind James and Tiffany when they hit the main door to the castle. All four ran toward Hagrid's cabin, with the longer legs of James and Tiffany getting them there first. James hit the door, and disappeared inside for a minute, but was back out almost instantly. "_Hagrids not in." _

The four of them ran around the back, heading for the feel of Lisa and Adam. James took over as they got to the edge of the Forest. "_Adam, you and Lisa stay as high as you can, while still being able to see us. I've got the point, Tiffany, rear guard."_

The group plunged into the Forest, but had only gone a few meters when Adam saw the forms rushing toward them. "_Hagrid and Emma are about 50 meters to your eleven, James, and Hagrid's got Hangeld."_

James and the others on the ground altered their course to intercept the others and in a few short seconds, the two groups met. Hagrid set Hangeld down, and Melissa was working on him almost before he was on the ground. Melissa had the holes in Hangelds leg fixed quickly, but she stayed there, and the leaf green glow that was the outward sign of her Healing talent didn't fade away. If anything, it grew brighter.

_"I need an evacuation. Hes got some kind of strong poison in his system, and I can't stop it, all I can do is slow the poison down." _Melissa said, and Chimera went into action. An evac drill was part of their training, and everyone knew what to do.

James and Rose stood guard while Tiffany and Adam improvised a stretcher out of two long branches and Adam's robe. Lisa went back to the castle to alert Madame Potter, and Emma stood by Melissa, to help her with anything she needed.

"What kind of poison is it, Hagrid?" James asked.

Hagrid took his eyes away from his son long enough to send a grim look Jamess way. "Manticore."

James blinked, until he realized that Hagrid was not talking about the Fraternal Order of Manticore, but a real Manticore. "_Lisa, how bad is Manticore poison?"_

_"Bad. If it was one of us, we'd be dead already, but giants are partially immune to it. Madame Potter is ready and I'll let her know what the problem is." _Lisa told him. "_Also, theres some Manticores waiting at Hagrid's cabin to help with stretcher carrying."_

_"Thanks, Lisa. We're leaving now."_ James took the point again, and Tiffany took her position at the rear, as Rose, Emma, Adam and Hagrid picked up the stretcher they had Hangeld on, and starting walking back to the castle. They were walking because Melissa was still using her Healing talent to slow the poison running through Hangeld's veins, and she couldn't move any faster while she was concentrating on that.

_"Madame Potter says to hurry, and she's got some stuff to help him, but we'll have to wait for somebody to get Manticore antidote from St. Mungo's in London. We don't have any here, or any way to make some in the time we have." _Lisa's report was tinged with a worried feeling, and James understood that. It was a long way to London, and a long way back.

At Hagrid's cabin, four of the Manticores took the stretcher from the tired quartet, and set off. Several more walked alongside, ready to take over when someone got tired. James was watching Melissa, and was the first to notice when she started sweating.

He moved up to her, and placed his hand over hers, where it rested on Hangelds chest._ "Don't wear yourself out, we're going to need you for a long time. I know you can use other people's magic to power your Healing, so use mine._

Melissa didn't say anything, but James felt a sudden drain, as if he was getting tired. He stayed there, until they were nearly back at the castle, and then Rose moved his hand, and took over for him. James nearly fell over when he stopped, and he looked up to find Tiffany in the same shape.

Melissa sent Rose away much sooner, as she didn't have the Soulbond to draw on, and Emma took her place.

By the time they reached the Infirmary, almost half the Manticores had taken a turn, and they were running out of Manticores for Melissa to use, until Ron Stone used the Manticore ring. "_All units, we have a problem, and we need you to assemble outside the Infirmary."_

James grinned weakly at Ron from his chair. "Thanks, Ron. I should have thought of that."

Ron looked at James, who had been carried into the Infirmary after Tiffany took a turn at Melissas side. "Why are you still conscious? Pass out, so Tiffany can."

James turned his head and looked at Tiffany, who had also had to be carried in. She was out where she sat, with only the Soulbond keeping her awake. James got up, staggered over close enough to touch her, and fell into blackness.

Melissa stayed at Hangeld's side for more than four hours, while they waited for the antidote, and the only things that made that possible were the Manticores giving her energy, and the potion Madame Potter had given Hangeld, which slowed the poison in his system. It was still a nightmare, pushing her Healing further than she had ever pushed it.

James's Quidditch injury had been simple compared to this, as it was merely tissue and bone injury. The poison was trying to spread through Hangeld's system and destroy the nerves. Melissa soon realized that she would not be able to stop it everywhere, and concentrated her efforts on keeping the poison out of his vital organs, including his brain.

She was vaguely aware of the Manticores feeding their energy to her, but few of them really registered. She recognized Adam, a well of power that seemed endless at first, but even he had to leave. Professor Potter was nearly as strong, and so was Professor Dumbledore, but the real surprise came from May-Ling, whose power wasn't as strong as any of the previous three, but who was harder to drain, and lasted far longer.

Professor McGonagall finally came hurrying in with the package they'd all been waiting for. Madame Potter took it and checked the contents as she crossed to Hangeld's bed.

Professor McGonagall looked at the boy lying in the bed, and her eyes widened for a second, before she regained control. Hangeld was a big boy, but now he was nearly twice his normal size, and his hands were black, the color of diseased flesh. The black was spreading up his arms as well, and had she looked under the covers, she would have seen the same thing happening to his feet.

Madame Potter finished checking the vial and poured part of the potion down the unconscious boy's throat, and started using the salve that came with the potion on his extremities. She was silent as she worked, and everyone waited tensely for her report.

Rose looked around, at the Manticores everywhere, and the few teachers that were here. Professor Dumbledore, Professors Potter, Evans and McGonagall, as well as Hagrid.

Rose rallied the team leaders to her and told them to take their people off to dinner, and then to the hall or bed. "I'll be here, and I'll let you know as soon as we know anything." The team leaders were reluctant, but a quiet reminder about Madame Potters temper convinced them to leave before she stopped working on Hangeld and found fifty people in her Infirmary.

Rose sank back into her seat, rubbing her temples. She'd taken her turn with Melissa, and she had a headache. She had been trying to look down the paths to see what would happen, but every time she did, the headache got worse. She looked up in time to see Professor Potter about to take Tiffany off the bed she was sharing with James. "Professor Potter, I wouldn't do that."

Professor Potter paused, looking at her. "I know they are Soulbonded, but they're still too young to be sharing a bed."

A"It's not that, it's simply that if you try moving one of them without waking them first, they tend to hit you before they wake up." Rose said as she got up and walked in that direction. She started trying to wake James up.

James finally woke up enough to open one eye and look at Rose. "Hows Hangeld?"

Rose rubbed her eyes. "We dont know yet. In the meantime, you have to move. Tiffany's parents are here, and you shouldn't be sleeping with her."

"You are not taking him away from me." Rose and Professor Potter turned to Tiffany in surprise, as she was the one who had spoken. "I have a headache, I feel like death warmed over, and he makes me feel better. If it makes you feel any better, consider this: were in plain sight of my mother, with at least four other people here."

By the time Professor Potter had considered that, the two of them were asleep again. Rose frowned, and looked around. Everyone that had given energy to Melissa looked beat, but most of them were still awake and on their feet.

She considered the sleeping pair, and suddenly shook James again. When he woke up, Rose looked at him, noting the bloodshot eyes, and a pallor to his skin that was totally unlike James. "What did you do?"

James closed his eyes again. "Can we talk about it after we recover, please?"

"No, we cant. Tell me what you did."

James opened both eyes, and looked at Rose. "Tiffany and I have found a way to mask our auras using the Soulbond. We may have given Melissa a bit more energy than she thought she was getting."

Rose was beginning to get very worried. "James, how much of your magic did you give her?"

James sighed. "You're not going to let me sleep until you know, are you?"

"No."

"When I tell you, can we go back to sleep?" he asked plaintively.

"James Evans, you have one second to start talking, or Im owling mom in two minutes."

Tiffany groaned. "Just tell her, so we can sleep."

"All of it, I think. Maybe a bit more. Now, leave me alone." James said, and was asleep before Rose had fully accepted what she had heard. She looked around, but Melissa was passed out on another bed, worn out by her efforts, and Madame Potter was still working on Hangeld.

She raised her ring, and called for Mercy to report to the Infirmary. She told the rest of Manticore that there wasn't any news yet, and waited.

Professor Potter had stopped trying to separate the two, and was waiting with Rose for Mercy. He looked at Rose. "Is he always this impulsive?"

Rose looked at Harry and grimaced. "I should have guessed he'd try something. He's always tried to protect every injured thing he finds, and when you add his concern for a friend and his concern for Manticore, it should have been obvious."

Professor Potter looked at the sleeping boy. "It must be interesting, living with him."

Rose choked down the slightly hysterical laughter that comment caused, mostly because she thought her head might fall off if she started laughing. "You have no idea."

Mercy arrived, and crossed directly to Rose. Rose told her what James had said, and before she was half way through her explanation, Mercy had her wand out and was examining the pair.

Mercy examined them in silence, broken only by the occasional spell, and Rose watched her. Mercy finally stopped, and looked at Rose. "We need to put them in a private room, and keep them asleep for at least two days. I'm not sure how they did it, but they're completely drained of magic, on the verge of being burned out entirely. We have to keep them from doing anything magical until they build some reserves back up, or they'll be Squibs.

Professor Dumbledore was listening. "We can do that. Two days you say."

Mercy nodded. "At least. I would have Madame Potter look at them to be sure. It would be best to leave them together as well. Melissa and I have noticed that they heal faster the closer they are. Other than that, there is not a thing we can do, except keep them from using magic. If either of them tried so much as a simple levitating charm right now, it could burn them out."

Rose looked around the Infirmary. James and Tiffany were in front of her, Madame Potter was still working on Hangeld and Melissa had passed out in another bed. There were also a couple of Manticores that had reacted badly to giving Melissa magic. Emma had also passed out, having taken a turn with Melissa, and then using what magic she had left to help save Hangeld as they waited for the antidote to arrive.

Mercy looked at Rose, and waved her wand in Rose's direction, muttering a spell. "You go to bed as well. Your sight uses magic, and every time you try again, youre draining more, and right now you simply don't have any."

Rose considered her worsening headache, and decided just to do as she was told for once. Before she could though, she had a couple of things she had to do. "Tell Lisa shes in charge until James or I am awake again. Leave someone here to tell the Manticores about Hangeld as soon as we know whats going on."

She was about to continue giving instructions when Mercy interrupted her. "We know what to do. Go to bed."

Rose stopped talking, and looked for Emma and Lisa, before she remembered that Emma was passed out. Mercy saw her looking around, and asked what she was looking for. "Someone to help me to Gryffindor. I'm not sure I can walk that far alone right now."

Madame Potter was walking up to Professor Dumbledore when Rose said that, and she waved a wand over Rose. "Don't bother. Find a bed here and go to sleep."

Rose took a second to figure out what she'd said, and then turned toward the nearest unoccupied bed and fell into it. She didn't bother with covers; she just lay down and gratefully sank into oblivion.

Madame Potter checked on all the students left in the Infirmary. She used a spell to move James and Tiffany into a private room and bullied them awake long enough to make them drink a potion. When she had the Infirmary organized to her satisfaction, she took Professor Dumbledore into her office. She slumped behind her desk and rubbed her eyes.

When she was done, she looked at the Headmaster. "Hangeld will live. More than that I can't say right now. We'll have to wait until he wakes up, and I can run some tests. A lot of how well he recovers from this will depend on how well Melissa kept the poison from his vital organs."

She paused, and shook some of the fog from her head. "James and Tiffany will be asleep until at least Monday night, although I'll have to keep an eye on them, since potions don't work as long as they should on those two. I'm also going to need to use April, and possibly another of the Manticore Mediwizards, since I'm about to pass out, and somebody needs to use the salve on Hangeld at least once an hour until it is gone."

"The rest of them should be fine, except Melissa. Leave her to sleep until she wakes up on her own. Shes going to regret this."

Professor Dumbledore looked over his glasses. "Why? I find what she did to be most impressive."

Madame Potter nodded, agreeing with him. "The problem is, shes opened her Healing talent fully all at once, instead of slowly, as most Healers do. Shes going to have raw, sensitive channels for a few weeks, and she'll be feeling every emotion in the castle for at least a week."

Professor Dumbledore stared into space for a minute. "How bad can this get?"

Madame Potter looked at him, and there was fear in her eyes. "Very bad. Hangeld could be brain damaged, James and Tiffany may be Squibs and if Melissa can't control her empathy or Healing talent, we might have to burn it out as well."

Professor Dumbledore thought about what that would mean to the students involved, and then what it would mean to the Prophecy. "When will we know?"

"Monday night, I'll check James and Tiffany, and make a decision then. Hangeld depends on when he wakes up, and it may be a week or more before we know about Melissa."

The Headmaster left then, so Madame Potter could give April her instructions, and seek a bed of her own. He went to his office and sat behind his desk, sucking thoughtfully on a lemon drop. After he had thought about it, he sent off two owls, telling the Evans and Xavier families what had happened.

The next two days were tense, as Manticore waited to find out what would happen to the patients still in the Infirmary. Rose woke up Sunday afternoon, and after spending some time watching the rest ofChimera sleep, she went to Manticore Hall, determined to put the best face on it she could.

She entered the Hall, and the first person she saw was Lisa sitting at the Chimera table with most of the team leaders. Lisa looked up as she entered, and the next thing Rose knew, she was being hugged hard.

Lisa hugged her for a second and then let her go. "I am so glad you're back. Adam and I are going nuts trying to deal with all these details."

Rose frowned. "What details?"

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Paperwork, reports, problems, all the stuff we normally only deal with for one team. It seems to grow as you add teams to it."

Rose smiled. "Father taught James and I a system for dealing with that sort of stuff, and I never thought about it. Would you like to see how to deal with it?"

Rose and Lisa collected Adam, and started on the mass of things that had shown up over the weekend. Rose got the team leaders as well. "The first problem you had was that James likes to collect all the weekly reports on Sunday, so he can deal with them and have a clean slate on Monday."

Rose went on to show them how to classify the paperwork, and deal with it. Debra Valentine looked at her curiously. "Why are you showing us this?"

Rose continued to read the paperwork as she answered. "Because when the war starts, you'll all be responsible for an area, and that means all the paperwork. James and I discussed this, but we thought it could wait until next year." She looked up at them and smiled wryly. "We weren't expecting to have most of Chimera gone at once."

Monday, Rose went to her classes, but as soon as they were over, she was in the Infirmary, waiting for James and Tiffany to wake up. She had all the shields down over her Twinbond and sat in a chair, doing her schoolwork. She looked up as somebody else entered the Infirmary, and was not surprised to see Emma wave at her, before going to sit next to Hangeld and watching him for a minute before starting her own work.

A few minutes later, Adam and Lisa came in with their books and settled mid-way between the private room the Soulbonded were in and Hangeld's bed. Rose looked over at Melissa, in the bed next to her chair, and lightly touched her with the link. She was still asleep, and Rose went back to her schoolwork.

It was an hour or so later that Melissa started stirring, and Rose looked up. Melissa rolled over on her side and her eyes opened suddenly. Rose could feel the emotions rolling through her, and her attempts to shield the feelings she was getting from everyone in the castle. Rose tried to help her, but the shields over the link didn't help against the emotions coming from the people that were not in their link. Melissa managed to shield enough of it to look around after a minute, and ask after Hangeld.

Rose frowned. "We wont know until he wakes up. Madame Potter says it will depend on how well you kept the poison from his organs, and I believe in your skill."

Melissa smiled at her friend, and looked at the rest of Chimera sitting in the various areas. "Where are James and Tiffany? I would expect to see them here as well." Melissa blinked as worry and fear leaked through Rose's shield. She looked at Rose, and waited for the answer.

Rose explained what James and Tiffany had done. Melissa frowned. "I need my notebook. If they can mask their physical condition from a Healer, that is something that we didn't know."

Rose smiled as her friend started looking around for something to write with. She handed Melissa her notebook, which had been put under the bed with the other things shed been wearing, and Melissa began writing.

The next couple of hours passed quietly. As long as Melissa kept her mind occupied, she could ignore the emotions of the students in the castle. Rose was more than willing to help her, and they worked on the things Melissa had missed that day until a sound from Hangelds bed attracted everyones attention.

Emma was next to the bed, and watching as Hangeld rolled over. He opened his eyes, and looked up. The first thing he saw was Emmas smiling face, and then he saw the rest of Chimera behind her.

Emma smiled at her best friend. "If you didn't want to work on the potion anymore, you could have just said so."

Hangeld grinned. He started to sit up and fell back. His smile was gone. "I think I'll just stay here."

Adam had gone to get Madame Potter, and now she shooed everyone away as she pulled the curtain around his bed.

The rest of the group went and sat next to Melissa, waiting for Madame Potter to finish.

James and Tiffany were dreaming. They were sitting in the small cave halfway up the Daggerfall cliff near Jamess home, and looking out over the valley below.

_"James, we have to be more careful, I know you can't stand things in pain, but we have something far more important to do."_

_"I know, Love. We need Hangeld also though, and I have to admit that I didn't realize just how far we went." James shifted, and looked at Tiffany. He was caught by the setting sun's light playing on her hair, and reached out to play with a strand of it._

_Tiffany smiled, and reached up to caress his face. They looked at each other, and leaned forward to kiss. As they kissed, the scene shifted under them, and they were in the suite in the Hogsmeade's Inn. They lay on the bed they had spent so many chaste weekends in, and there were no more thoughts of restraint._

Melissa frowned, looking up from her work. She looked toward the private room where James and Tiffany were, and started flushing a deep red. Rose had looked up when she stopped working, and she watched in confusion as Melissa started blushing.

"_What's wrong, Melissa?"_ she asked.

"_Go check on James and Tiffany. They are still asleep I think, but they're doing something that they shouldn't be doing in the Infirmary, and certainly not when Madame Potter could check on them at any minute."_

Rose figured out what she meant before she reached the door of the little room where James and Tiffany were resting, and nearly stopped. She looked at their paths, and decided not to barge in. She reached with her Twinbond, touching James. _"James, wake up. Madame Potter is examining Hangeld."_ She repeated it, and was about to try again when James finally responded.

"_If I didn't know better,"_ James said, with a mixture of humourannoyancefrustrationembarassment, "_I'd say you were playing chaperone"_

Rose grinned as she opened the door, and walked in. "Would you rather I woke you, or Madame Potter, after she finishes with Hangeld?"

Tiffany looked at her from the bed, where she and James were spooning. "Personally, I think you should both go away."

Rose smiled at her sympathetically. "Maybe so, but would you rather I was the one that caught you with James's hand in your shirt, or your mother?"

The two on the bed were spooning, with James lying behind Tiffany, and one of James's arms being used as pillow by Tiffany. His other arm though, was under her shirt, and where it was resting was blatantly obvious.

James sighed. "She's got a point, Love. Your mother would not be amused. Nor would she be happy to figure out where your hand is."

Rose had been trying not to think about that, and from Tiffany's sudden blush and quick movements, which ended with both of her hands in plain sight; she hadn't even realized where her hands were.

After they had given Rose enough time to wake the Soulbonded, the rest of Chimera came in. The seven sat, talking about the day, the weather and various other little things, waiting anxiously for Madame Potter.

Emma was the first to realize that Hangeld was going back to sleep, but that he didn't seem very worried after Madame Potter left. They waited, and Madame Potter entered the room.

"I believe these two were supposed to be left alone, until I woke them." Ginny Potter swept the various people in the room with a stern gaze. "Would somebody care to tell me why they are awake?"

The four who knew why they were awake blushed and avoided her eyes. Ginny watched them for a second and then turned her attention to the two in bed. "Well, this is a pleasant change. You're not wrapped around each other, with your hands in places you shouldn't know about yet."

James and Tiffany closed their eyes and turned a new shade of red. _"Somebody just shoot me now."_ James sent.

"I believe that my husband is going to want to have a long talk with you, Mr. Evans, when you get out of here." Madame Potter began checking on the two of them while keeping up a continuous and highly sarcastic monologue about the sleeping habits of the two.

When she was done, she looked at the two of them, and turned serious. "You will not cast any magic other than the required amount for classes for at least two more days. I will examine you again then and let you if you can go back to your old ways. Right now, that means no pranks, no Manticore things, nothing other than that amount of magic needed for your classes. Do not let me catch you breaking that prohibition." Madame Potter's tone boded ill for the one she caught breaking the rules she had given them. "You are however; free to sleep in your own beds tonight, as I am tired of checking on you two in the night, and finding a two-headed lump. I'll sleep much better knowing you two are in different rooms."

James and Tiffany began getting out of bed as Madame Potter left the room. They were already half-way dressed when Madame Potter stuck her head back in the door. "Tiffany, I will need to talk to you before you leave. Alone."

Tiffany sighed. "Yes, mother." She leaned on James for a minute. _"I am not looking forward to this."_

James kissed the top of her head. _"And I should be looking forward to the talk your father is going to give me?"_

They finished dressing while everyone else collected the things they'd been working on while they waited for Hangeld and the Soulbonded to wake. James and Tiffany came out of the room, and James hugged Tiffany before she turned toward her mother's office.

With a final look at Hangeld, the group left the Infirmary, on their way back to Gryffindor tower when they were ambushed.

"Mr. Evans, I'd like to have a word with you, please."

James stopped and rubbed his eyes with one hand. "Of course, Professor Potter. What may I do for you?"

The rest of Chimera was smart enough to wait until they were out of hearing before bursting into laughter.

Back in Gryffindor tower, Adam brought Rose the strange book. "Here, everyone's done with it."

He blinked, as she took it from him, and her emotions spiked. She went to a windowsill and was deep in the book in less than a minute.

Rose had been skimming the parts of the book she could read as it came back to her from the various Chimeras, and she was certain she already knew what it was, but she needed to know, and until Hangeld and Adam had finished their pages, she couldn't be sure.

Melissa came and sat down with her. _"My Empathy is running high tonight. I can feel you through the shields. What is that book?"_

"_You can help me with it, but keep it from everyone, because if I'm right about what it is, we're going to have to convince James to use it."_ Rose filled Melissa in on what she thought the book was, and what it would do.

She was barely half-way through the explanation before Melissa figured out why this would be so important to Rose. It was not until Rose was finishing the talk that she understood why James was going to need some serious convincing to use it.

Rose and Melissa were still studying the book when James and Tiffany came back to Gryffindor from their respective talks with the Potters. Madame Potter had given them a potion to make them sleep all night, and they went to bed.

Rose and Melissa were still studying the book when the first Gryffindors came downstairs in the morning, and they had to rush to get ready for PT. After PT, they went down to the library to get a book that would help them. When they showed up for breakfast, the rest of Chimera was there except for Hangeld, who was still in the Infirmary.

James looked at them. "How's the research?"

Rose shrugged. "We're still working on it."

Melissa agreed. "It is a complicated ritual. It might take some time to understand completely."

James frowned. "If it's that hard, don't bother. Unless it will help us, or tell us who the Patient Child is, there are more important things." With that, James put the book out of his mind.

Rose and Melissa spent the next week studying the book, making sure they understood it. When they were done, they enlisted Mercy and Jerrick to do a few things for them, and went to see Professor Evans. They showed him the book, and told him the entire story, from how they got it to what it would do. He listened to their story and their plans, and then agreed to help them.

Hangeld came back from the Infirmary after nine days, but was on restriction. He wasn't allowed to exercise in the morning or do anything that involved using his muscles heavily until Madame Potter was certain the damage done to his limbs was healed. He was taking three potions a day, and had to go back to the Infirmary every night to have more salve rubbed over the still discoloured portions of his hands and feet.

The various people Rose had enlisted were busy over the next two weeks, a fact missed by James only because he had bigger headaches. The Yule ball was just a month away, the Manticores were starting to have pre-dance jitters, with the various boys trying to decide whom to ask and the girls trying to make sure the boy they wanted asked them to the Ball.

James was complaining about it at the table one morning, and Adam threw a biscuit at him. "It's easy for you, you don't even have to ask, you already know the girl you like is going to go with you. Give the rest of us a break, will you?"

James corrected him absently, as he listened to something Tiffany was saying. "Not like, Love."

Adam rolled his eyes. "Whichever. The point is, you don't have anything to be nervous about."

James shrugged. "True, but as my Lady just reminded me, it is polite to ask." He looked at Tiffany. "Greeneyes, would you be so kind as to grace me with your presence at the Yule ball, and make everyone jealous of the guy with the most beautiful girl in school?"

Tiffany smiled at him, and the Chimeras felt her humour. "I'll think about it. After all, I might get a better offer."

James sighed. "Lady Love, if you can find a better match, by all means, go with him. Until you do though, can I assume you'll go with me, so that I don't have to ask three girls to go?"

Melissa blinked. "Why would you need three girls, if Tiffany doesn't go with you?"

James turned, looking surprised. "That should be obvious. It would take three girls to match my Lady."

Hangeld put his face in his hands. "Would you please stop that? It's just too weird to hear you talk like that."

Tiffany frowned at Hangeld, and jumped to James's defense. "He talks like that to me all the time. We just don't do it in public much, because he's shy about expressing emotions." She smiled at the blushing James. "He compared me to a sunrise over the mountains once." She looked smug. "I've seen his memories of that sunrise, and he thinks I'm even more beautiful."

Adam was staring at James. "Next thing you know, you'll be writing poetry to her."

James found something very interesting in his plate as his blush deepened, and Tiffany smiled. Chimera looked at them, and Rose was the first to find her voice. "He writes you poetry?"

Tiffany was still smiling as James looked at her. "I can neither confirm nor deny such a statement."

Lisa figured out what she meant quickly. "What you mean, is that you aren't going to lie, and say he doesn't, but you promised not to tell anyone. Is that a correct statement?"

Tiffany thought for a minute, and then shrugged. "Lisa, go to hell."

Chimera stared at James, trying to imagine him writing poetry. Adam shook his head. "Right. Anyway, what are we doing today?"

Chimera accepted the blatant change of subject, and talk turned to the classes of the day.

After classes, Jerrick found Rose and gave her a large bundle of parchments and scrolls. She took the bundle to Professor Evans, and the two of them spent several hours talking.

The next day, Rose got Adam, Hangeld and Sonya Gebbs together, and they all spent more time with Professor Evans.

Two weeks before the Yule Ball, Rose called a meeting of all the Manticores while Professor Dumbledore sent James and Tiffany on an errand.

Rose and Melissa laid out what the book was, what it could do and what they would have to do to make it happen. She told them everything, both the pros and cons of the mission, and asked them what they wanted to do.

Five minutes later, she had their answer and Manticore started planning the mission. While they worked on that with Adam, Professor Evans, Sonya and Jerrick, Rose was working on something much harder.

Manticore simply had to plan a twelve day mission. Rose had to convince James that they could skip training this year, and do the mission.

One week before the Ball, James called all the Manticores into the Hall, and shut the doors. He stood in front of the group and looked at them. "I have noticed that Y'all are doing something, and that you're being very careful not to let Tiffany or I see it. Now, since I trust Manticore, I'm wouldn't worry about it too much, except that I also noted that a certain sneaky and underhanded sister of mine seems to be the focal point of this little conspiracy."

James looked at Rose. "Care to comment, Rose?"

Rose took a deep breath. "In a few minutes, James, I'll tell you all about it." She turned to the Manticores. "Ron, would you get the mission statements and maps? Mercy, please send a couple of your people to get the others, would you?"

Rose turned to the wall behind her, and began moving the posters and charts there so she would have a place to lay out her plans.

James and Tiffany watched, and just before James was about to explode, Rose turned to him. "I know you're curious, but I'm waiting for Professor Dumbledore, Professor Evans and the Manticores from Hogsmeade. We have something to show you, and a mission to plan."

Rose smiled slightly. "I am hoping that you will see the use in this, and help us, but one way or another, this is going to happen."

Tiffany cocked her head and stared at Rose. Rose looked back, and the two girls looked at each other for the longest time. Tiffany nodded, and sat back against James, distracting him with a kiss. _"I'll keep him calm until the others get here, but you have to know that was not your best opening remark. James will get stubborn just because you didn't leave him a choice."_

"_I'm counting on that. I have known him a long time, and this is all part of a game,"_ said Rose calmly.

It took nearly an hour for all the Manticores to enter the Hall, and then the doors were shut again. Rose looked around, and faced James.

"Bear with me, Brother Mine, not everyone knows the whole story, so you are going to hear some things you already know."

Rose told all the Manticores about the book, and how they had gotten it. She went on to detail how it had been protected against anyone but the Eight using it, and how they had opened it.

"Here is where it becomes interesting to us. Melissa and I have studied the Book of Life, and it is a spell. A long and complex spell which will do two things for Manticore. The first, and most important thing, is that if we cast it properly, it will create two amulets, which slow a person's aging down by three fourths."

Lisa was the first to understand what that meant, and she looked at James and Tiffany. "Rose, are you sure it will work on the Soulbond?"

Rose held up the Book of Life. "According to this, yes. I have not actually cast the spell, or used the amulets, so I cannot say it will work."

James and Tiffany were looking at each other, and the Hall grew quiet as they waited for James's response.

James finally looked at Rose. "This sounds too good, too easy. A spell, and Tiffany lives her normal lifespan, plus some. What's the hitch, Sister Mine?"

Rose turned to the wall behind her even as she began talking. "The spell has to be cast at the Heart of the World. Since I cannot see the Heart, we have two choices. We can put out the word, and hope it shows up some place we can get to. That is a tight question of time and logistics. The spell itself takes three days to cast, and the Heart of the World is never in any one place for more than four days."

Rose looked over her shoulder at Manticore. "That means that Jerrick's contacts would have to find it, get word to us, and we would have to get there in less than twelve hours."

Jerrick looked up at Rose. "My contacts might be good, but you're asking for perfection."

James nodded as he considered it. "I agree, that would be nearly impossible. I assume that you have an alternative?"

Rose took a deep breathe, and felt Melissa send her a wave of reassurance. "Yes, I do. The Book of Life tells us where the Heart of the Earth will be over Midsummer's night this year, and we can be there when it arrives."

She turned back to James and Tiffany. "What I am proposing, is that Manticore go there, hold their position, and cast the spell."

She gestured with her wand, and the rolled up map on the wall behind her opened, showing everyone where the Heart of the World would be.

James looked at it, blinked and turned astonished eyes on Rose.

"You want us to invade the Giantlands?"


	27. The Ball of Green Fire

_**Arguments and counter arguments**_

"Are you out of your mind?"

"Not really, we have been working on this, James"

James and Rose were facing each other at the front of Manticore Hall. Rose had just revealed where the Heart of the World was going to be over Midsummer's day, and James was not taking it well.

The fact that they would have to travel nearly two hundred klicks into the Giantlands, an area forbidden to humans since the Treaty of Drakenoir in the sixteenth century was a large part of it. The Giant tribe whose lands they would be invading would be completely within their right to kill them all, and nobody could do anything about it.

The next few minutes confused all the Manticores except Tiffany, and even she was hard pressed to keep up. The twins slipped into the one or two word sentences that they could use with each other to argue about this.

Rose, "Planning"

James, "Risks."

Rose, "Alexander"

James, "Patient Child."

This went on for several minutes, and by the end of it, the Manticores were hopelessly lost. The first few sentences had been easy to follow, but after that, nobody had the faintest clue of what they were arguing about.

Emma Weasley put a stop to that. "Excuse me." The twins broke off, and looked at her. "I realize that you two understand what you're saying, but the rest of us are involved here, and we'd like to be able to put our two Knuts worth in as well. Would you please use a language the rest of us speak?"

James looked at her, and the Manticores looking at them. "Fine. I was just asking Rose how she plans on hiding sixty people for three days, while we cast the spell."

"A few more than that actually, James. We are taking Alexander, Martin and a few others."

"How many people are we going to be responsible for?"

Rose looked at Alexander inquiringly. He answered the question. "Right now, myself, Martin, Falcon and Shadowwalker are definite goes, and I'm still waiting for replies from Blacklegs and Stalker." Alexander grinned at a sudden thought. "If Stalker goes, we'll have another Ranger with us, a lady by the name of Leafstar."

Sonya giggled. She directed her question at Alexander. "Still?"

Alexander smiled at some joke only the Borderers understood. "Yes."

Sonya looked at her cousin Mary, who was one of the reserve Manticores. They shared a smile, and turned their attention back to the argument.

James was examining the mission plan for the trip into the Borders. "So you want us to leave here, consolidate at this point, just outside Drakenoir, and use that as our jump off point."

Rose nodded. "That is the last place you can Port-key to without attracting the attention of the Borderers. While the rangers won't bother us, the rest of the Borderers are not in on the mission, so we'll have to avoid them as well. Alexander is going to have an area of the Border being watched by allies, who will not report our entry. Once we're in, we should be fairly safe while we move, as the Giants can't catch flying humans unless they get in front of us, and ambush us."

James considered her plan, and nodded. "With a point team out, covered with invisibility and silencing spells, it might work." He turned back to Rose. "What are you going to do about the three days we have to be stationary?"

Rose unrolled another map. "Here is the valley where the Heart is going to be. It's not so much a valley, as a canyon, with just two points that offer easy entrance for anybody that can't fly. If we put three teams at each end, we can cover both of those entrances."

She unrolled another map, which had team markings on it, and let James examine it. She watched him, hoping he'd spot the flaw in the plan and make a suggestion. Once he started making suggestions, they could draw him into the planning, and by the time he realized that he'd been tricked, he would not be able to withdraw.

James was examining the team locations carefully. "This is good," he said absently, as he traced the positions, "But it doesn't leave a reserve. Try this, with a team here and here, and at this end of the valley, a team here and here. That leaves two teams in reserve, mounted on broomsticks, ready to be the quick reaction force for either side of the valley."

Jerrick moved up to the map, and Adam joined them. "What about sleep? Three days is a long time to go without sleep."

James frowned. "We don't have enough people to relieve the teams."

Alexander interjected a comment. "That's not a problem. You sleep at your positions, in a 50/50 ratio."

James blinked at him. "Explain what you mean, please."

Alexander shrugged. "When you're setting into a defense like this, you pair two people from a team together, for mutual support and to allow one of them to attend to anything that comes up. Food, latrine needs, sleep, that sort of thing. As long as one person at each position is awake, there are eyes on the perimeter twenty-four seven, but everyone gets to sleep and eat."

He looked at the map, and made a couple of minor changes to James's deployments. "Of course, a lot of this will depend on the terrain when we can actually see the site."

James and Jerrick started a debate, and Rose smiled at Tiffany. _"I told you I could do this."_

"_Sister Mine," _came James's thought, as he continued to argue with the rest of the planners, _"I might be planning this, but that does not mean we're going to do it. This could be the thing that causes the Sphinx knot."_

"_James," _said Rose, in a voice that had suddenly gone to steel, _"like I said, this mission is going to happen. I am not giving up my brother, or my friend because of your fears. All you and Tiffany have to do while we cast this spell, is stand there with your hands on the Heart of the World. You can do that in chains, if necessary."_

James turned to stare at Rose. Before he could say anything, Rose played her trump card. _"I've been using the Sight. I cannot tell which path is which at this point, but if we don't do this, the Patient Child will win, if the war goes longer than a few years, simply because you and Tiffany will not be there."_

James stared at Rose. He sighed and turned back to the planners. "Where are we going to put Phoenix? It will have to be close to a central location."

Rose watched as James drew the team leaders into the planning session, and the argument was mostly over, except for one last comment from James, which only Rose heard. _"Sister Mine, I am going to repay you for scaring me out of a year's growth. Count on it."_

Rose merely shrugged. A prank or two was a small price to pay for her brother.

As lunch approached, the planning session broke up, and the Manticores started downstairs to eat.

James and Adam were still arguing in front of the map, and Rose looked at them. She touched James and groaned. She walked up to them, and cast an obscuring spell on the map. "James, I know you. You are not pulling an Emily, and skipping meals."

Adam and James looked at her, and James was about to say something when his stomach rumbled. Rose looked at him. "You were going to say something?"

James sighed. "Betrayed, alas, by my too, too human flesh."

Tiffany winced as James mangled another classic literature quote. "Yank, learn the quotes, if you're going to use them."

James just smiled at her as he sent something over the Soulbond. Tiffany blushed, saying, "It figures you would remember that one correctly."

The next three days were hectic, as James reviewed every step of the mission statement, going over each thing one step at a time, and insisting on knowing every detail. He gave Jerrick new orders regarding intelligence from the borders, questioned Sonya and Alexander about the borders, made Mercy start looking into the most common injuries inflicted by Giants, as well as the health hazards native to that area. The team leaders came in for a share of extra work as well, having to go over their teams, and make sure that everyone was clear on what they had to do.

Chimera finally cornered James in the lab one morning, and took the notebook he'd been writing plans in away from him. Rose was their spokesperson. "James, go make sure your formal robes are ready for the Ball. Brush Tiffany's hair. Do anything, just let the Manticores enjoy the Holidays. There is more than enough time after them for us to plan this mission right down to the time each of us can pee."

Tiffany flared up as James thought something. "James Evans, if you think you can ask me to a Ball, and then not go, just because something came up that you're working on, you had better think again."

James smiled at his better half. "You're right, and I apologize for even thinking it. I can assume then, that you haven't had a better offer, and are going with me?"

"Of course I am. For some reason, nobody else has asked me." Tiffany pretended to pout, and then smiled. "That means I get to dance with you." Her words were innocent, but the mental images she sent James at the same time were not.

James stopped, thinking about those images until Melissa elbowed him. "Just think about something else."

James rolled his eyes. "That is the only problem with Empaths and links," he complained, as they walked out of the lab, "You have no privacy at all."

James did let the Manticores have the rest of the time until the holidays for themselves. The only thing he did was study the data that they had collected, and make notes for after the holidays.

The day before the Ball, James and Rose were sitting in Manticore Hall, and James looked around. _"Who's taking who to the Ball? I know you and Tiffany have been working with Professor Dumbledore and William Moore on that project for Richard, but who's taking Mercy?"_

"_Daniel is taking Mercy, Jerrick is taking Sonya, I think you know who's taking Lisa and Emma and Emily is going with Ron Stone."_

"_Ron and Emily? That is a pair that I wouldn't have thought of."_

James grinned at the thought. Emily Kitchen was the single biggest bookworm in Hogwarts, and Ron only opened a book for study, and closed it again as soon as he was done. James and Tiffany had seen him sneaking around late at night sometimes, and knew that he loved to fly as much as they did. They had never let him know that they knew he went out after nightfall to fly, although James was careful to keep an eye on him, in case something happened to him.

James looked at Rose as a new thought occurred to him. _"There were a couple of names absent from that list."_

"_Melissa an_d _I aren't going. We have something to do that is far more important. I've finished the research into that project you asked about, and the potion part of it has to be finished that day."_

James sat up. _"I'm sorry, Rose. Are you sure you can't put it off one more day?"_

"_Brother Mine, first, I agree that it's important enough to skip a dance over, and second, the only person that asked Melissa to the dance was Draco Jr."_

"_What? Why?" _James was puzzled about that. Melissa was not a ravishing beauty, but she was cute, and she didn't have any bad habits that James knew about.

"_James, you're a nice guy, but what you know about people could be engraved on your thumbnail. How many guys outside of Manticore want to date a girl who knows what you feel, and what you think?"_

"_Melissa can't hear thoughts," _James said, _"Only emotions, and she would not use that against a guy, certainly not one she liked." _He thought about what she'd said. _Why didn't any of the guys in Manticore ask her?"_

"_James, think about how it looks to the guys outside of Manticore. She's part of our link, and most of the school has figured out that we don't need to talk to each other, which means she reads minds. Everyone also knows she's a Healer, which means Empathy. Very few of the Manticore linked people have been asked to the Ball by anyone not in Manticore. Not that it matters, as all the ladies in links are going with a guy from their link for the most part."_

James frowned as he thought about that. James was almost completely oblivious to personal relationships. He'd never been very good at them before he had Soulbonded to Tiffany, and the Soulbond made it worse. He simply didn't think of people in any sort of romantic way, and that made thinking about their dating or romantic actions a logic puzzle to James. Since matters of the heart don't always make sense to logic, James had given up on figuring it out, and simply asked Rose or Melissa to explain anything he needed to know.

He thought about it for a minute, and then shrugged. _"I'll trust you to tell me anything I need to know, and leave anything else in your capable hands. I note that you didn't say if anyone asked you."_

"_You're right, I didn't and I am not discussing my love life or the lack thereof with my brother."_

"_I can't say I'm sorry to hear that, I was dreading it." _James smiled at Rose. _"I love you dearly, but I don't want to hear about you snogging somebody anymore than you want to hear about what Tiffany and I get up to after the rest of you are asleep."_

"_You mean you do something besides brush her hair?"_ asked Rose in mock astonishment.

James grinned at her, even as he blushed. _"Sister Mine, you have no idea, and I don't think you want one."_

"_Brother Mine, you've just reached the TMI line. Melissa and I are taking 30 Galleons from the Green Flower account to pay for the March Project."_

"_OK. I assume it's going well?"_

"_The Feathers are using the Winged Flame services, and they have given Cathy permission to attend the Ball, provided she is back by 0100. William is going to Port-key to their house and pick her up, using the Port-key to bring her here, and he's going to take her back as well."_

Richard March was dating a Muggle girl, and while he could send her letters, they were usually separated for the entire year, as he was linked. That meant he had not been home in a long time.

Rose and Melissa had used a Witch working at the Winged Flame to approach the Feather family, and gotten them to attend a few of the classes that the charity offered. The Winged Flame offered classes in Muggle/Wizard relations to Muggle families that had a wizard or witch born to them, as well as offering a home for magical children that were not wanted or safe in their homes. It also offered classes to families that had a Wizard or Witch marry into the family.

The Feathers had known that there was something strange about Richard, but finding out about the wizard world had come as a shock. After a few classes, they had understood that Richard was just a boy with a talent that most people didn't have.

When Rose and Melissa owled them about the Ball, they had been hesitant. Rose had sent her mother a note, and Mary Evans had called the Feathers. She had made an appointment, and spent a day showing the Feathers a world they had never known about.

In the end, Mary Evans had convinced them to allow their daughter Cathy to attend the Ball.

Rose smiled, as she remembered the look on Richard's face when she and Melissa had told Richard that Cathy would be at the Ball.

Jerrick came over to them and sat down. "I have the list of Ministry researchers, and their files."

James reached for the pile of paper that Jerrick had brought with him, and looked at the top one. "Elbert Madison." He frowned, looking up as he thought. "That name sounds familiar."

"It should, he's Emily and Harry's grandfather," said Jerrick. "He was at the last family week."

James smiled. "Great. That should make our job easier. He already knows about the Prophecy, and he supports us."

Jerrick nodded. "I've been in touch with him, and we're working on ways to hide Manticore. He can control two of the others, but two of them might be problems."

James looked sharply at Jerrick. "Tell me about them."

Jerrick pulled his little notebook. "Gilbert Lock is a career Ministry man who only stays there because he is one of Minister Fudge's biggest brown nosers, according to Mr. Madison. He's been shunted through every department in the Ministry, and was assigned to this project over Mr. Madison's protests."

James winced, as Tiffany's memories showed him the Weasley family stories about the last time a Ministry employee had been at Hogwarts. While this person didn't sound as bad as Dolores Umbridge did, he could do more damage, simply because they actually had something to hide now.

James shifted as Tiffany came up and sat next to him. The rest of Chimera was also gathering as they heard the discussion through the link.

Lisa was thinking about what Rose had relayed to them as she took one of the files from the stack in front of James. "What about the other person that could be a problem?" she asked.

Jerrick grinned mirthlessly. "She's a former Ravenclaw, professional researcher and a very nice person. She is friendly, been on Mr. Madison's team for six years and good at her work. She's married, has two children and is very loyal to her family."

Emma frowned at Jerrick. "What's wrong with that? She's sounds like a very good person to me."

Jerrick nodded. "That's the problem. Her name is Elizabeth Marley, but her maiden name is Fudge. She's the oldest daughter of Cornelius Fudge."

Chimera stared at Jerrick while they thought about that. James looked around the hall, looking for Cary Fudge. "The biggest question here is, is she like Cary, or her father?"

Jerrick sighed. "Neither, because according to Professor Dumbledore, she was one of the brightest Witches in Ravenclaw when she was here. That means she has a brain, which makes her very different from her father. She's also organized and thorough, which makes her different from Cary as well."

Jerrick passed another parchment to James. "On the bright side, Mr. Madison was able to buy us some more time. He convinced Minister Fudge that one year was insufficient data to work with, so the team will be coming here next year."

James sat back, idly caressing Tiffany's hair as he thought about the whole thing. "So we have to deal with a Ministry sneak who will report what we're doing, simply to stay on Fudge's good side, and his daughter, who will report us because of family loyalty."

Jerrick considered James's summary. "Yes, that's it in a nutshell."

James thought some more and then narrowed his eyes as a thought came to him. "How many of the Manticore's family work in the Ministry?"

Jerrick had that answer instantly. "Five Manticores have family working in the Ministry, not counting Emma, Tiffany and me. Cary Fudge, Emily and Harry Kitchen, Maynard Winchester and Joy Grethen. Of those five, only Emily and Harry's grandfather knows about the prophecy." Jerrick smiled. "Of the three of us, my father, Arthur Weasley, Percy Weasley Jr., Hermione Granger-Weasley and two of Bill Weasley's children work at the Ministry."

James looked at Emma. "I see what your family is doing now," he joked, "You're going to take over the Ministry by numbers."

Emma grinned at James, saying, "Of course. Violence is such a passé way to take over."

Emma looked at Jerrick. "You missed one though. Charlie's daughter works there as well." A shadow crossed her face. "Fleur remarried, but Melody Gaines is Charlie's daughter."

Jerrick swore. "I never thought about that. Do any more of your relatives work there?"

Emma thought about it, and shook her head. "Not that I know of, but grandmother Weasley would know."

Jerrick made a note, and then looked at James. "That list of course, only covers immediate family. If I continued the list to include cousins, the list would be almost three quarters of the Ministry."

James blinked. "That many? Is there any way we can use that?"

Jerrick frowned. "I doubt it. Too many of the people in the Ministry are loyal to the Ministry." He looked at James quizzically. "What do you mean, that many? You have nearly that many in the American Department of Magic, and if you count all the relatives in local Departments, the Evans and Pendragons encompass nearlyforty-six percentof the American Department of Magic."

James and Rose looked at each other, and back at Jerrick. "Keep track of them," James said, "but don't count any American Pendragon as a relative or an ally, unless mom tells you they are."

Jerrick nodded. "So, Mary Evans is the Pendragon Heir?"

James looked surprised. "You didn't know that?"

Jerrick smiled. "Not until now, although it was high in the list of possibilities. We couldn't find any records of Mary Drake until she rented an apartment and started working at a tailor shop, the day before the Pendragon Heir went missing. Based on physical descriptions of the Heir, and your mother there was a high probability of them being the same person, but no proof."

James shrugged. "As long as you keep it quiet, I don't care if you know, but remember where I got my temper, before you talk to anyone not here about that."

Jerrick stared at James with a wounded expression. "James, do I ever tell anyone anything they don't have a need to know?"

Jerrick went back to the original topic. "Anyway, Mr. Madison can control two of the team, as well as showing us all the reports that the team makes. The only people we have to worry about are Gilbert Lock and Elizabeth Marley" He looked at his notes. "In fact, Melody Gaines is listed as the Researcher's assistant for the group. She's been working with Mr. Madison for a year now, and he trusts her."

He looked at Emma. "How close is Miss Gaines to the Weasley clan?"

Emma sighed. "She's not close at all. We would love to see more of her, but Fleur doesn't like being around us. She doesn't like to think about her first husband dying less than a year after they were married."

Jerrick frowned. "In that case, we need to keep her out of the loop. If she lost her husband to a dark wizard, she'll be very upset to find out there is another, especially if Melody joins us."

James agreed with him, and then said, "Keep track of the people coming here, but since it's going to be next year, I'm not going to worry about it right now. The Giantlands may make the whole idea of keeping Manticore secret impossible anyway."

Jerrick winced. "Don't remind me. The endless possibilities for having out cover blown there are driving my father and I nutters."

Adam smirked at him. "You mean you weren't nutters already?" he asked.

Jerrick looked at him innocently. "We're not nearly as crazy as the boy that once wore cowboy boots to school for an entire year."

Adam blushed as the other members of Chimera looked at him. They were smiling, and James was grinning. "Don't worry about it, Adam. I have a pair, and so does Rose. They are, after all, the best way to keep your foot in a stirrup."

Jerrick smiled again. "True, however, Adam's school didn't teach equestrian skills at that time."

Adam looked around. "They also have another advantage. They add a couple of inches to your height, and when you're the shortest boy in your year, that means something."

Hangeld was looking at Jerrick. "How many tidbits like that are you hiding?"

Jerrick smiled innocently. "Me? You don't believe that I'm hiding anything, do you?"

Chimera stared at him for a minute in disbelief, and then burst out laughing. Tiffany smirked at Jerrick, "James believes you try to keep secrets from yourself."

Jerrick looked at James severely. "That would be impossible, much like trying to hide a one-way blinds prank that went a bit wrong."

James and Rose blushed. "Jerrick," said Rose calmly, "If you value your health, you'll shut up right now." She stared at him, and didn't take her eyes off him until he shifted uncomfortably. "Who else knows about that?"

"William Moore is the only other person I know of," he confessed.

Lisa groaned. "I know about it as well," she said, "It made the papers here, and I read about it then. When you approached me, I did some checking on you two, and the lawsuit came out."

The rest of Chimera, who didn't know what they were talking about, was looking from one to another curiously. Emma spoke up first. "A prank that made the papers in Britain, and a lawsuit? What did you two do?"

James and Rose looked at Tiffany and Lisa, who were giggling as they shared something over a private link. Rose groaned. "We'll tell you about it later, since half of you know already anyway. Right now, I believe we have a few things to do, and I need Melissa in the potions lab."

The meeting broke up, and the various members of the group went to do the things they had to do. James and Tiffany were sitting on the couch. Tiffany listened to James fret for a few minutes. _"Relax, Jerrick doesn't know about that. He would have used it, if he knew."_

"_I hope not, I'd never be able to look Hangeld or his father in the face if they knew about that."_

Tiffany thought about the Unicorn incident, but managed to keep the smile off her face, which didn't work, since James could feel her amusement. He sighed, and distracted her with a soft touch of his mind. They sank into the rapport, and passed a pleasant hour.

Sunday, the day of the Ball, James had granted a Playday to the Manticores. He had done so only because Rose and the other ladies in Chimera had convinced him that nobody was going to have their mind on PT or anything but the Ball.

The only thing James did do, was warn Manticore not to pull any pranks at the Ball. "It is My Lady's first Ball, and it will be perfect for her. If I do catch anyone pulling a prank that ruins any part of the Ball for her, I will do things to that person that students will be talking about three hundred years from now."

The day was a mass of last minute preparations, with a great deal of Giggling behind the closed doors of the girl's rooms, as they did things to their hair and faces that left the boys shaking their heads.

Adam was visibly nervous, and Hangeld wasn't much better, pacing across the common room as they waited for their dates. James watched them with a smile. "You two do realize that Emma and Lisa are enjoying what Tiffany is telling them, don't you?" he said calmly.

The two of them looked at James. "You were right. Links don't allow for any privacy," Adam said. "They're not supposed to see how nervous we are before we see them."

James merely grinned. "Like you two haven't been listening to Emma."

Emma's thoughts were suffused with embarrassment as Tiffany relayed that comment to her. _"It's not my fault. I just can't shield that well."_

"_It doesn't matter now." _Lisa said pragmatically. _"We're coming down now."_

The boys waited at the bottom of the girl's stairs. Emma was the first one to come down, and Hangeld stood there transfixed as she came down the stairs. Emma was wearing a simple gown of green silk, and had done something to her hair to make it lie flat. With her hair pulled back, and a touch of eyeshadow, her large expressive eyes were the focal point of her face. She smiled at Hangeld as he held out his arm.

Whatever Hangeld said to her was over a private link, but it made her blush and then smile again.

Lisa came down next, and her dress was a dark blue, contrasting beautifully with her blond hair and pale skin. Adam took her hand, and smiled as he spoke. "Miss Malfoy, I think I understand why James can write poetry now, if he thinks Tiffany is half as beautiful as you are."

James looked at Adam. "My Lady is as beautiful to me as Lisa is to you. Nice necklace, Lisa."

Lisa was wearing a simple necklace, of a White Knight holding a Silver Sword, which every Manticore present recognized as Adam and Lisa's signatures.

Emma smiled at Hangeld, thinking of the Oak and Lioness charm hanging under her gown.

It was Adam and Hangeld's turn to smirk at James, as Tiffany came down the stairs. She was dressed in a gown of gold-laced green, and her hair fell freely around her flowing like a scarlet river down her back. The Winged Flame charm around her neck stood out prominently against her skin, while the thin silver chain it was hung on was nearly invisible, leaving the impression that the charm was hanging there with no support.

James stared for a minute, and then held his arm out to her.

"Her hair is a crimson waterfall, flowing like silk,

Her eyes are shining green, emeralds without peer,

Her beauty is unmatched by mortals mere,

The sight of her fills my heart, no other has seen her ilk.

Yet it is not the Physical wonder that makes her divine,

But the love that she holds for me, heady as wine,

Shining in her heart and soul, a Love that makes her mine."

James spoke softly, caught in Tiffany's eyes. Tiffany laid her hand on his arm, and neither of them moved for a long minute. The rest of Chimera could feel them, touching at levels the link could not take them. They turned and smiled at the silent couples.

"_We think we have a Ball to attend, shall we go?"_ said a voice that was neither James nor Tiffany, but some mixture of both.

Lisa looked at Adam as they went out of the portrait hole. _"I envy them, and yet I don't."_

"_I know exactly what you mean."_

The House Elves and some of the staff had been hard at work in the Main Hall. The dining tables were gone, except for one that was pushed up against the wall, and covered with finger foods and bowls of punch.

The ceiling did not look like the sky tonight, but had the soft light of a noonday sun, that was covered with clouds. Falling from it were large snowflakes, that didn't land, but disappeared when they touched something.

The Hall's decorations were snow white, with trims of light blue and made you feel as though you were walking in a winter wonderland.

The three couples looked around, admiring the Hall. Emma smiled at Hangeld. "I know where you want to go first," she teased gently.

Hangeld smiled, but shook his head. "The food will be there all night. My courage, on the other hand, is more likely to disappear. Emma, would you dance with me?"

Emma's smile grew softer. "Of course I will."

They walked over to the area set aside for dancing, and joined the few couples already on the floor.

Adam looked at Lisa, and merely held out his hand in silent offer. Lisa took it, and they followed the other two.

James and Tiffany looked at the two couples. Adam and Lisa were passable dancers, but Hangeld and Emma were staying in one place, swaying.

"_My Lady, shall we join them?"_

Tiffany smiled at James. "_Yes, although you do know that the only dancing I can do, I learned from your lessons."_

"_So? Take the lead if you can."_

Tiffany and James traded the lead back and forthin their dancing, and while they were not that good at dancing, the closeness of their Soulbond meant they didn't step on each other too often.

Professor McGonagall was standing against the wall, watching the proceedings with Professor Potter and the Headmaster. "I wonder what pranks will be pulled tonight."

Professor Dumbledore smiled softly. "I don't think there will be any. Little birds have been busily running through the castle all day, warning everyone, even the Slytherins about something James said this morning." He told the other two Professors about James's threat to "Do things" this morning. "Ever since then, the Manticores have been passing the word along, and most of them have added even more comments. It would take an absolute fool to pull a prank at this Ball."

Professor Potter smiled. "You know," he confided to the others in a low voice, "Despite his being a Yank, and his disturbing temper, I'm beginning to like James."

More couples trickled in, and soon the Hall was full of couples, most of whom were enjoying themselves. One couple though, was standing in a dark corner, looking at James and Tiffany out of the corner of their eyes. "Bloody Yank, trying to scare people."

"I agree," said the woman, "we should show him that not everyone is scared of him."

The man standing there nodded in agreement. "What should we do then?"

The woman considered the question, and then turned back to the man. "I have an idea. Here's what we're going to do."

The Ball was nearly over when James and Tiffany looked up from the rapport they had been in. They were still on the dance floor, but had joined Hangeld and Emma in simply swaying to the music.

"_James, all hell's about to break loose." _Rose's sending was sudden, and swept across the Chimera link. _"Some sort of monster is about to appear, Melissa and I are on our way."_

James and Tiffany looked around. There were still quite a few people in the Hall, mostly long term couples unwilling to end the night. James spotted Professors Potter and McGonagall, and started towards them.

Professor Potter spotted the movement, and looked that way. He saw James heading towards him with a look that boded ill for someone. "Minerva, look at James."

That was when the peaceful scene became a nightmare. In one corner of the room, the floor buckled, erupting as something huge pushed through the floor. It spoke in a rasping sibilant voice. "Fools, to think I could be slain so easily."

Professor Potter froze, not believing what his eyes were telling him.

1"The Basilisk."


	28. Fire and Ice

_A/N: I don't have much to say right now, but I do have a few things afterwards, so stick around, OK?_

_**Fire and Ice**_

The people in the main hall at Hogwarts froze, staring at the nightmare that had suddenly disrupted the Ball. It towered over them, and hissed. That seemed to be the signal everyone was waiting for, and chaos instantly reigned. Some students were running out of the Hall, some were trying to hide, but there were a few, most of them Manticores, struggling to join James.

All the Manticore rings went off then, as Rose called the Manticores. "Zulu, Zulu, Zulu, in the Main Hall. I say again, Zulu, Zulu, Zulu, in the Main Hall."

Zulu was a code phrase Manticore had made for a life or death situation, one that would require the skills they had learned in training. None of the Manticores had thought to hear that call until the war started, as it was not used in training. It was not joked about, not even James would use it as a ploy.

Across the castle, Manticores dropped what they were doing, and ran for the Main Hall.

In the main hall, James had rallied the dozen or so Manticores still there, and set the ones that were in Phoenix to herding the other students out of the Hall.

He looked at Professor Potter. "You've fought that thing before, does it have weakness?"

Harry looked at him grimly. "The last time I saw it, it had both eyes torn out, and I had stabbed it with a sword, right through the brain." He dodged a chunk of table, thrown across the room as the Basilisk tore the refreshment table apart. "I would have sworn it was dead."

"And so it is." They turned to find the Headmaster standing there. "What you are looking at is far more dangerous than a creature. It's a magical construct. It's formed of Dark Magic, strengthened with a person's hatred and fear, and other dark emotions."

James looked at the beast again. "How do we kill it?"

Professor Dumbledore had lost the benevolent look he usually had, and three generations of wizards looked up as the thing approached. "You have to destroy it with pure power. You have to put more power into the thing than it can handle. Professor Potter, if you would."

Professor Potter and the Headmaster pointed their wands at the approaching monster, and began casting spells at it. James looked at them, and then at the linked members of Manticore that were pouring into the hall from every entrance.

He activated his ring. "I want everyone to cast at that thing."

A scream split the air. James turned and froze as he saw Tiffany running across the Hall.

The basilisk had cornered a third year he vaguely recognized as a Hufflepuff, and Tiffany was running to get the student, who had fainted.

James's eyes blazed as a sweep of the thing's tail knocked Tiffany into the wall. He staggered as he felt the tail slam into her, and he felt her ribs crack as she hit the wall.

He stopped and looked at the monster as it turned its attention back to its victim. He made a gesture, and the raw magic knife he had shown Professor Dumbledore appeared in his hand. He looked at it, and concentrated. It shimmered, and grew. When it stopped shimmering, James was holding a large sword.

He charged the thing as it bent down to bite the student laying there, causing several Manticores to abort spells to avoid hitting him. It hissed as he swung, cutting across its tail and looked back at him. James stood his ground, waiting for the monster to move.

James waited, and the monster did two things at once. It looped its head over to bite at him, and at the same time, it swept its tail along the floor, knocking James's legs out from under him. James's head hit the floor and he lost the concentration he needed to hold the sword. The sword dissolved into nothing as the monster snapped at James. He rolled to the side, and avoided the first bite.

The basilisk brought its tail around and pinned James beneath its coils, leaving only his head free. James struggled for his wind under the crushing weight, nearly blacking out under the beast as it bent to bite his head off.

Tiffany saw what was about to happen to her Soulbonded, and she froze for a second. Terror, Love, Fury, Protectiveness, all of that and more swelled in her being, and something deep in her soul was released, sweeping through her, setting her nerves afire. Something hot and fierce exploded in her.

"I don't think so, monster." The voice that echoed throughout the Great Hall didn't sound remotely human, and a good many people turned. Tiffany was standing up, and her eyes had gone away, replaced by green flames. She started toward the thing, and as she walked, green flames grew around her. She did not seem to be affected by them, and they continued to grow. As they grew, Tiffany walked on them, not noticing it, or anything except the thing that had her Soulbonded trapped.

Tiffany stopped about ten feet from the beast, and raised her hands. The green flames poured toward the thing, covering it, forcing it away from James. Tiffany didn't seem to notice, as she poured more and more green fire into the construct. Only a few people saw the small ribbon of green fire that stayed with James, as he fought to breathe.

The construct began glowing under the spells and green fire, and suddenly exploded, shaking the hall, and knocking almost everyone flat. Tiffany was still wrapped in green fire, and unaffected by the explosion.

Professor Dumbledore was one of the few that was not knocked down, and he was the only one that saw the green fire fade back into Tiffany as she floated down to the floor. At least he knew what that those strange lights in her aura meant now. He made a mental note to mark her aura for future Headmasters as he helped Professor McGonagall up.

Tiffany was helping James up, and James smiled at her as he got his breath back. His eyes changed as he saw the remains of the Hall. He spotted a body, half covered by a piece of the table and started toward her even as he started issuing orders to the Manticores. "Damage control, Sphinx, take charge of clearing the debris. Phoenix, we have injured, you know your job."

Ron Stone started directing the Manticores in clearing the debris from the hall, while making sure that there were not any more students under the debris.

Mercy set up a triage point in the cleanest section of the Hall as the Phoenix Mediwizards started collecting the injured for treatment.

Hangeld helped James lift the table off the student while Adam and Lisa gently slid the girl out. Melissa reached down, and started checking the girl over. "Get Madame Potter, tell her that I have a female with a crushed pelvis." Rose went to get her as Chimera continued looking for victims.

Across the Hall, Professor Potter was helping the Headmaster when Professor Dumbledore stopped, and looked toward the wall. He turned back to Harry and frowned. "Two students just left the grounds. Get the Househeads, and find out who is missing. I would think that the missing students might be able to shed some light on this night's events."

Professor Potter looked at him. "I'll be glad to know somebody can. What was that green fire?"

Professor Dumbledore looked at him, and his eyes were troubled. "A myth."

May-ling was working nearby, and heard his comment. "Pardon me, sir, but it is not a myth. I knew of the last Pyromancer, although I never met her. It was," she paused, thinking back, "about sixteen hundred years ago." She shrugged. "Give or take a century or two."

Professor Potter looked confused. "I've never heard of Pyromancers."

Professor Dumbledore looked at May-ling. "I have read of them, but there is little known about them. I think Miss Sun Tzu and I will have a talk before I say more. Right now, we need to clean this up, and find out which students have left the school."

Harry hesitated, but turned to find the Househeads. He saw Professor Snape first, and crossed the Hall to speak with him.

An hour later, the Manticores had cleared the hall, and all of the students that had been injured were safely in the Infirmary, where Madame Potter and Mercy were directing the Phoenix Mediwizards in their treatment.

James looked around the Hall, and got the team leaders together. "You all did well, as did your teams. Get everyone to bed now. Make sure anyone that is injured stops by the Infirmary first."

The team leaders agreed and started sending orders to their teams over the links or the rings as they turned to collect their teams. James turned to Chimera, but before he could say anything, Rose spoke. "Good plan, James. When are you and Tiffany going to the Infirmary? Melissa says that one of you needs to have their ribs looked at."

James took a deep breathe, and he felt the pain in his ribcage. He looked at Tiffany, remembering how she had hit the wall. "Right now. My Lady, if you would accompany me?"

Lisa looked at them. "Tiffany must the injured one. James would never go so quickly if it was him."

James sent the rest of Chimera to bed, and they walked to the Infirmary. _"I'm really getting tired of this place,"_ Tiffany told him as they approached the doors.

James grinned at her. "_You're just carrying on a family tradition. I understand your father spent a great deal of time here."_

"_This is one tradition I can live without, thank you."_

In the Infirmary, they found Melissa working on a fourth year Slytherin's arm. They were waiting for her to finish when the Slytherin boy looked up and saw them. He looked at them for a minute, and then looked around. "I owe Mercy an apology. Would you be good enough to extend it to her? I would do it myself, but I have to live in that house for another three years."

James looked at him, and lowered his voice. "If it's only the Cliques, you could start your own Clique, with the Manticores that are there. There would be six of you in the house, and you would have many friends outside of it. You might even find that there are more people like you in the house." James looked around. "Look here, at this scene. Here are people from every house, working together, and not worrying about rivalries. I refuse to believe that everyone in your house is a complete loss. I will forward your apology to Mercy, but in return, you're going to think about what I said."

"Why do you care? In a couple of years you'll be gone back to America, and we'll probably never meet again."

James sighed, looking down at his feet, and then looked the boy in the eye. "Once, I stood by, and let something happen because I didn't think it concerned me. That decision cost me, and I swore I would never do it again."

James looked at the boy curiously, as Melissa finished with him, and started examining Tiffany. "What brought this on anyway?"

The boy pointed at a bed where a girl slept after being healed. "My date and I were near where that thing came up, and she was hit by a piece of wood or something from the floor. Mercy ran almost under the monster, and was helping her even as the monster was still coming out of the floor."

James looked at the boy. "You know, when I stopped the abuse, Mercy was one step from ending her life. Where would your date be now, if I had stayed out of it?"

The Slytherin thought about what James had said, and then hung his head. "Point taken. I will think about it."

James stood up, and turned to go be with Tiffany. He stopped as the boy in the bed said something else. "Don't bother with my apology. I will do that myself."

James grinned at the boy, and then grew serious. "If you need someone to talk to, that is not in your house, I can be found in Manticore Hall most of the time, or somebody there knows where to find me."

He turned without waiting for the other boy's response, and crossed to the chair Melissa had pulled up for Tiffany.

Tiffany smiled at him as he took her hand. "Melissa says I'll be fine in just a minute." She rolled her eyes. "She also says she has a couple of questions about the green fire."

James rubbed his eyes. "She's not the only one. I would like to know about it as well."

Tiffany grew serious. "So would I. All I know is that I stood up, and that thing had you pinned, about to bite your head off, and then, it just sort of erupted. I could feel it growing in me, and I just threw it."

Melissa frowned as she finished with Tiffany's ribs. "They will be tender for a day or two. James, you're responsible for not letting her strain them. I trust you to monitor her, since you don't want her back in here."

She looked at Tiffany, and then at the clock on the wall. "I do have questions for you, but I'm tired from all the healing and you will be tired shortly. I had to draw on more of your energy than normal for this, and you're going to be very tired in about twenty minutes."

James frowned at Melissa. "If you're willing to put off asking questions about something new, you're in worse shape than you're telling us. Do I need to have Madame Potter look at you, or are you coming to bed with us?"

Melissa looked at James, and a ghost of a smile crossed her face. "Thank you for the offer, but I think I'll find a bed here, in case they need me. Besides, I would hate for Tiffany to find me in bed with you in the morning."

James blinked, and then thought about what he'd said. Shaking his head, he smiled back. "I wouldn't worry about you, it would be me I worried about. You can hide from her."

Tiffany yawned, and James's attention went to her. "As interesting as this is, Yank, could you escort me to bed?"

James smiled softly at her. "Of course, My Lady."

The two Soulbonded walked out of the Infirmary, hand in hand. Melissa watched them go, and turned to find Madame Potter watching her as she put away her wand. "I'm going to assign you a room here. Between overtaxing your Healing talent, and watching over those crazy Manticores of yours, you spend more time here than you do in your room."

Melissa tried to say something, but a yawn came out instead. Madame Potter just pointed at a room. "Go to bed." Melissa started toward the room, and then turned. "I said, go to bed. You know I'll call you if I need you." Melissa turned back, and was asleep within a minute of her head touching the pillow.

Albus Dumbledore was not asleep, and it didn't look like he was going to get any sleep tonight. It was already 0400, and he was still waiting to hear from two of the Househeads. Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick had reported all of their students were accounted for, but Professor Snape and Professor Sprout had yet to report.

He looked at May-ling, sitting in a chair half asleep, and stood up. "I believe I have learned everything I need from you, Miss Sun Tzu. You can go to bed now."

May-ling looked out of the Professor's window. "No point in bed now, I think I'll just get some of Lisa's coffee, and stay up."

Professor Dumbledore looked at her over his glasses. "I would suggest you go to bed. There will be no classes tomorrow, and James has already told Professor Potter that the Manticores will not have PT in the morning either."

May-ling looked shocked, and then her face cleared. "Tiffany must have been hurt. Is she going to be ok?"

"Yes, she will," said the Headmaster, "but how did you guess that Tiffany had been hurt?"

May-ling smiled. "James wouldn't cancel PT for anything less. Even if he was hurt, we'd still be doing PT. Since Tiffany goes out to do PT every time he does, the only way he can get her to stay inside, is not to go to PT himself. Since he goes out to PT if any one team is out there, the only way to do that is to cancel PT for everyone."

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "Since he has canceled PT, you should find your bed now. Professor Flitwick, would you escort Miss Sun Tzu to Ravenclaw, please?"

The Professor and the student left after saying good night, and Professor Dumbledore was left alone with Professor McGonagall. They sat in silence for a few minutes, thinking about what May-ling had told them about Pyromancers.

A Pyromancer could take the magic in their body, and turn it into a controlled flame, which would last as long as their magic did. It wasn't good for much, except pushing raw power into something, or burning things. It was controlled by the wizard or witch's will, and it would only last as long as they concentrated on it.

What it was good for, was being used in places you didn't want to use regular magic, as it ignored wards, and couldn't be detected by normal magic.

Professor McGonagall looked at the Headmaster. "What was that thing? Harry said you called it a construct, but I've never heard of it before."

"I have spent more than forty years trying to suppress that information. Constructs were a creation of Grimwald."

Minerva looked at him. Everyone knew about Albus Dumbledore's defeat of the Dark Wizard Grimwald. "So, you've been suppressing this spell ever since?"

"Yes. It is far too dangerous. Last night, had it not been for the swift actions of the Manticores, and the Pyromancy of Miss Potter, that thing would have taken most of the bottom floor of the castle apart before Harry and I could stop it."

Professor Dumbledore looked at the wall, and levitated a book to his desk. He found the section he wanted, and passed it to the Gryffindor Househead. She read the section, skipping back to reread a couple of parts, and looked up at Professor Dumbledore when she had finished. "That is an ugly spell."

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "It is that. The person casting it creates the frame of the monster, and binds it with magic. After that, they pour hatred, envy, jealousy or any dark emotion into it with that spell, and release it. It will target the person or people the emotion is directed at, and continue until it destroys its target or it is destroyed."

"The fact that I find most disturbing," Professor Dumbledore said quietly, "is that somebody has saved that spell for more than forty years, and that they taught it to their child, or children."

"Do we know who the missing two students are yet?"

"Not yet. I am still waiting for the Slytherin and Hufflepuff reports."

Just then, someone spoke the password for the gargoyle. The two Professors waited, and Professor Snape walked in. He sat down and looked at Professor Dumbledore. "Two of my students are gone. Reginald Crabbe and Lasinda Martique."

The three professors looked at each other. "Are those the only students missing?"

"From my house anyway. I think Professor Sprout is looking for a student."

Professor Dumbledore frowned. "Only two students let the grounds. If there is a third student missing, we need to find that student." He left unspoken what might have happened to that student.

He looked toward the door as somebody spoke the password again, and a few seconds later, in walked James and Tiffany. "Hello, Sir," said James tiredly, "I assumed you would want to talk to us, so I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Professor Dumbledore looked at Tiffany who was sagging in James's arms, and motioned them to chairs.

Professor McGonagall frowned as James escorted Tiffany to a chair, and sat down, cradling Tiffany in his arms. Tiffany curled up, and was only half-awake as James looked up to find the four adults staring at him. He blushed, and answered the unspoken question. "She will heal faster like this. Since I can feel her pain, I would prefer she heals sooner rather than later."

He looked down at Tiffany, and his eyes were soft, warm with love and concern. That look made the Professors blink when he looked back up. The look he directed at the Headmaster was neither loving nor concerned. "Do you know who is responsible for that thing?"

Professor Dumbledore considered the boy before him, contrasting the careful, gentle touch he was using on Tiffany with the fiery anger burning in his eyes. "You will allow me to deal with this, Mr. Evans. I understand that that thing hurt Miss Potter, but it also hurt twenty-six other students, and I have the first claim."

James looked at the Headmaster, and nodded slowly. "True. I will allow you to handle the matter. If you wish to make use of Jerrick and his father in this, Sir, you know where to find him."

James looked down again as Tiffany stirred. He spent a minute soothing her as she turned, and her ribs protested.

Albus Dumbledore turned to Professor Snape. "Are you sure those students are gone, and not simply in some secluded area of the Castle? Are any of their things gone?"

Professor Snape looked up. "I didn't think to check if any of the missing student's belongings were gone. I will do so now." He got up to leave, but James stopped him. "Pardon me, Sir, but I have a faster way."

James spoke into the ring. "Hydra one, come in." He waited a minute, and then spoke again. "I'm with Hogwarts one and Slytherin one. We need to know if any of the things belonging to the missing students are gone."

James looked at Professor Snape. "Which of the Prefects do you want Sonya to have check their rooms?"

"Prefect Goyle."

James nodded and relayed that. When he was finished, he looked at the Headmaster. "Sir, what was that fire Tiffany threw?" Tiffany turned her head, and regarded the Headmaster out of one sleepy eye as they waited for his response.

Professor Dumbledore told them what he knew of Pyromancy. James smiled at Tiffany. "My Lady, the human torch." He looked back at the Professor. "Where do we find a trainer?"

Professor Dumbledore smiled faintly. "In the grave. There has not been a Pyromancer for nearly two thousand years."

Before they could say anything else, Sonya, also known as Hydra one called James. "Lasinda has some things missing, but all of Reginald's things are here. Did they have something to do with that thing?"

"Hydra one, we don't know yet. I'll let you know in the morning. Thank you for your assistance." James reported what she had told him, and went back to thinking about Pyromancy.

James thought about what the Headmaster had said, and looked down at Tiffany. "You would have to have a talent we don't know how to train, wouldn't you?"

Tiffany looked at her Soulbonded sleepily. "I won't want you to get bored."

James smiled at her. _"I could never be bored with you."_

He looked back at the Headmaster. "I don't suppose there is any way to keep this talent a secret?"

Professor Snape snorted. "You were a little occupied, and might have missed it, but allow me to describe the scene when I entered the Hall. That thing was laying on you, your Manticores were casting an amazing range and number of spells at the beast, and there was a woman wreathed in green fire standing about two meters off the floor, pouring green fire into the monster, a fire I could feel the heat of at the door."

James looked up. "Off the floor?"

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "She was walking on the fire, it appeared."

James groaned, and put his head down. He rubbed his forehead with one hand as he thought about it. "Too many students that are not in Manticore saw it to ignore it, I suppose." He looked up. "While we're on the subject of talents, Melissa tells me that Emma has come to her privately about her wand not being reliable. Is it still too early to give her that book?"

"How many times has it been unreliable?" asked Professor Dumbledore, looking at James intently.

"Three or four times so far. It was a month between the first two times, now it's down to once a week."

Professor Dumbledore thought about it. "The first time it happens twice in one week, have Melissa give her the book."

James looked at Professor Dumbledore curiously. "Why are you being so careful with Emma's talent?"

Professor Dumbledore looked at James for a long time, and then spoke softly. "When Miss Weasley comes into her talent, she will, for all intents and purposes, stop going to classes with you. Some few classes, such as Potions, Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology will still be useful to her. The rest of the classes teach normal witches and wizards to channel power through their wands, to cast a spell. Since Miss Weasley will not do that, she'll be attending a different set of classes."

James looked at the Headmaster, startled. "Where did you find a teacher for Warlocks?"

"I did not. There have not been enough of them to have teachers. Miss Weasley will be taking classes with myself, while you and the other members of Chimera are in Charms and Transfigurations."

James watched the bland expression of the Headmaster while he thought. James put the Professor's kid glove treatment of Emma's talent, the private lessons and a couple of things Emily had turned up in researching the Warlocks for him together, and rubbed his eyes again. "How dangerous is she going to be until she learns to control it?"

Professor Dumbledore sighed. "A warlock, as you know, does not need a focusing tool to cast a spell. They do it with a gesture, and a word. Until Miss Weasley learns to control her new talent, she could accidentally cast magic any time she speaks and moves her hands at the same time, especially if she feels strongly about whatever she is talking about.

James stared at the Professor while his sleep-fogged mind absorbed what Professor Dumbledore had just said. He considered the rash, emotional, young bundle of nerves that he called Emma, and buried his head in Tiffany's hair. "Emma talks a great deal, Professor, and she becomes emotional quite easily."

Professor Dumbledore smiled at James. "Yes, I have noticed that. The next few months should be quite interesting."

Professor McGonagall wasn't quite smiling, but the hint of laughter in her eyes gave her away. "I think you're beginning to understand how I feel, when your people come to my attention."

James looked at her, and then at the other Professors. He turned back to Professor McGonagall and spoke softly. "I know that we can troublesome at times, Professor, and that you have exercised amazing amounts of patience with us. I have noticed that, and I have been remiss in not telling of my," he stopped, and looked down at Tiffany, "excuse me, our admiration for you."

Professor McGonagall was about to say something when somebody else spoke the password and rushed up the stairs. Professor Sprout came in the room, and spoke directly to Professor Snape. "Are you still missing two students?" When Professor Snape nodded, the Professor turned to Professor Dumbledore. "Headmaster, I have to inform you that there are four missing students right now. Two of my seventh year students, Ernie Wordsmith and Diana Bray are missing."

James's head came up, and a second later, so did Tiffany's. "Diana Bray didn't do this. I would know if she did." Diana Bray was a Phoenix Mediwitch, assigned to the Pegasus team. "Pegasus one, this is Chimera one, respond please."

"Roger. Was your Mediwitch with you tonight?" he said after a minute. He listened to the response.

James stiffened. "Pegasus one, the next time you can't find someone attached to your unit I want to know right then, not the next day. Chimera one, out."

Tiffany was wide awake now, and pulling the Marauder's Map out. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Tiffany got up, and James stood. James crossed to the headmaster's desk, laid the map down, and began going through it. Professor Snape was looking at the Map. "If you only knew how many times I had that map. I should have guessed it would be a verbal thing. James Potter always was good at that sort of thing."

Tiffany looked at him. "It has history, though, Professor, and right now, it's fairly important. If you had destroyed it, we wouldn't have it now."

James pointed. "Here, Diana and someone else." He stopped, looking closer, and frowned. "I will be damned. Diana Bray and Reginald Crabbe are in a broom closet together."

Professor Snape looked up. "Reginald Crabbe is in a closet with a Manticore? I don't believe it."

Professor Dumbledore agreed. "Given the events of last month, I find that hard to believe." (To find out why that's so hard to believe, read Quick Exit. Raven)

James frowned, and spoke to his ring again. "Pegasus medic, respond."

A minute later, he tried again. He looked at Tiffany, and turned to Professor Dumbledore. "Sir would you watch this for a minute, please?" he asked, indicating the Map. Professor Dumbledore agreed, and James and Tiffany pulled the Cheshire grin Port-keys out.

After they had gone, the adults looked at the Map. The closet where the two were was almost directly under the Main Hall, and Professor McGonagall was the first to voice her suspicions. "If one of those Manticores saw something strange going on, they would investigate, wouldn't they?"

They watched as the dots marked with James and Tiffany's names appeared, ran down a corridor and cut across the castle, using a tunnel, coming up a few hundred feet from the closet. The two dots went to the closet, and Professor Dumbledore tapped the Map, to enlarge that area, as the area was fuzzy with so many people there.

Before they could do anything else, Professor Dumbledore heard a call from the ring he wore. "Phoenix, I need the Medic on call."

Professor Dumbledore had been given a ring, like the other Manticores, but he'd never paid much attention to the occasional Phoenix team calls on it, as they were generally for training purposes. He looked at it again, remembering what James had called him. "Chimera one, this is Hogwarts one."

"Hogwarts one, this is Chimera two. Chimera one is busy. Diana and Reginald are unconscious, and James is checking on them. Medic is enroute, and we'll have them in the Infirmary as soon as the Medic says we can move them."

Professor McGonagall was looking at the ring as he relayed what he'd been told. "That is a useful item."

"Yes, it is," said Professor Dumbledore, "but do you really want to join Manticore?"

"Given the way their Potions lab must be stocked," said Professor Snape dryly, "I wouldn't mind being able to look around in there. Plus, it would be nice to be on the winning side openly for once." Since Professor Snape had spent almost all of the Voldemort war as Professor Dumbledore's spy, hiding his affiliation with the Order of the Phoenix, the other Professors could understand that.

They turned their attention back to the Map, as the dot marked Joy Grethen joined the other four dots, and then four of them disappeared. Professor Dumbledore moved the view to the Infirmary, where the four dots representing James, Tiffany, Diana and Reginald had appeared.

"Professor McGonagall, James once said those Multi-Portkeys of theirs had six destinations. I know one is the hallway outside Manticore Hall, one is the main door to the Castle and one appears to be the Infirmary. I would like to know where the other three destinations are, if you don't mind."

Professor McGonagall looked at him. "Why is the destination the hallway outside the door? Why not simply Port inside the Hall?"

"This is James, the Noid. Not even his Portkeys will work in the Hall."

"Hogwarts one, this is Chimera one. Diana and Reginald were stunned, and Madame Potter says we can question them in the morning. If you say Mischief Managed, the map will clear, and I will get it back tomorrow. Right now, Tiffany needs to go to bed, unless you need us for something else?"

"No, everything can wait until we talk to the two students, and find out what happened."

"Roger that. Chimera one, out."

They watched as the two dots marked James Evans and Tiffany Potter disappeared. Professor Dumbledore moved the Map to show Gryffindor tower. The dots were close together, and in the common room. A few seconds later, the dots separated and moved toward the boy's stairs and the girl's stairs.

"I should have known. I would still like to know what the other two destinations are, Minerva," said the Headmaster, as he put the Map away.

"I'll ask, but I think," Professor McGonagall said, "that one of them is the Quidditch Pitch, and the other is somewhere around Hagrid's cabin."

The talk turned to the two students still missing, Ernie Wordsmith and Lasinda Martique.

Professor Snape didn't have much to say about Lasinda. "She has been here seven years, and I may have spoken to her outside of classes a dozen times. She's quiet and very private. The only problem I've ever heard of anyone having from her was in her first year. A couple of the Cliques tried to pressure her, and she did something that made them back off, and spread the word to leave her alone." He shrugged. "As far as I know, that's still how matters stand. No one in the house bothers her, and she doesn't bother anyone. She did well on the OWLs, and that's all I know."

Professor Sprout had more to say about Ernie. "He's been distracted lately, even irritable. I spoke to him about it, but he claimed it was stress, which is easy to believe, as he is taking the NEWTs this year. I gave him some advice, and was going to bring it to your attention if the situation had not changed after the Holiday."

Professor Sprout looked up as he thought. "He's always been a quiet boy, a follower of others rather than a leader, and well liked. He did acceptable on the OWLs, but was nothing special in that regard. He was a normal student in all ways."

Albus Dumbledore frowned as he considered the information he had been given. "On the surface, this does not sound that bad, a quiet young woman and a nice boy. On the other hand, the boy you say is a follower is displaying unusual behaviors, and there is that construct tonight."

They talked about it a few minutes longer, but they decided they did not have enough information, and tabled the discussion until they spoke to the two that had been stunned.

Very few people made it to breakfast the next morning, and James had to wait until almost noon to get most of the Manticores together in the Hall. He shut the doors, and looked around. "Diana is fine, and Professor Dumbledore is talking to her now. I want to talk about the Zulu."

James had each of the team leaders report on their team's actions, and then they conducted an after action review, just as they did during training. At the end, when James asked for questions, Ron Stone stood up.

"I don't have a question about our actions but about the other students that were there, fighting with us. Should we consider them for Manticore?"

James looked up, surprised. "Other students?"

Ron nodded. "One of them was a fourth year Slytherin, standing over Mercy while she was working on a girl, and the other two were a Ravenclaw named Desiree Drannig, and a Hufflepuff girl she hangs out with, but I don't know her name."

James looked at Sonya. "Do you know the boy he's talking about?" James described the boy he'd talked to in the Infirmary.

Sonya nodded. "His name is Geoff Goyle; he's the younger brother of Prefect Goyle."

James looked at Zachary Moore, the team leader for Hufflepuff's Unicorn team. "What's the name of the girl, do you know?"

The sixth year boy frowned, and made a call on his ring. A few minutes later, he looked up at James. "Her name is Mary Linden."

James nodded. "Right. Those of you in their houses know what to do. Give them the once over, and get them up here to talk to Rose and Melissa."

He stood up, and collected his notes. "That's all I have. You all did good work last night," James looked pointedly at the Pegasus team leader, Conor McCloud, "with one exception, which has already been discussed, and I think we will not have that problem again."

James looked out over the crowd. "I do have one more thing to say. You all did well last night, and I am proud of every one of you. You responded to the Zulu, and fought well. Congratulations, Manticores."

Debra Valentine stood up. "We had good trainers, and better leaders," she looked around then, and continued in an impish tone, "even if one of them is a real hothead."

James and Tiffany grinned at her. "Which one of us are you referring to?" James asked her, "Tiffany, the green fire thrower or James the berserk?"

Laughter came from the crowd, as she answered him. "When you put it that way…"

The group was in good spirits as they made their way to lunch. James was talking to Conor about his Medic, telling him her condition when his ring sounded. "Chimera one, this is Hogwarts one."

"Hogwarts one, Chimera one, go ahead." James answered the call, even as he looked at Tiffany. _"Maybe making his ring a commo unit was a mistake."_

"I have finished talking to Miss Bray and Mr. Crabbe, and I would like to see you, Miss Potter and Mr. Clearwater around three, in my office, if you don't mind."

"Not at all, Hogwarts one." James replied. Tiffany called Jerrick and relayed the message as James finished talking to the Professor.

They ran into Mercy and Melissa who had missed the meeting, since they had still been in the Infirmary looking after the last of the students hurt in the attack, and Mercy looked at James after they said hello. "Did you do something to Geoff Goyle? He was very polite to me this morning, and said some things that make me think you had a talk with him."

James smiled at Mercy. "I did talk to him, but his attitude change was your doing. He was impressed with your actions from last night."

Mercy shrugged. "I didn't do anything, except help people. That is what I do."

James looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Mercy, I have heard from at least four different people this morning, that all say you came within a meter of that thing last night, trying to help a Slytherin girl that caused you a great deal of bother, while you were in Slytherin. That is a bit above 'helping people' as you put it."

Mercy shook her head. "No, it's not. She needed the help then, and I could do it. No one else was close enough, and none of the Manticores were hurt at that point, so I helped her."

James smiled at her, and hugged her. "And people call me crazy."

Prefect Goyle was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, and stopped the group. He took a deep breath, and spoke. "I am given to understand that I owe the lives of my brother and his fiancée to your group, and particularly Miss Riddle." He sighed. "As much as it hurts me to say it, I am in your debt. When you have need, you may call on me."

Mercy stepped up before him. "I will call that marker now. I want you to help your brother. He's going to be doing some things that some of the other Slytherins are not going to like, and he will need all the support he can get."

Prefect Goyle looked at her. "That's it? Help my brother?"

Rose was looking down the Paths in her head. "That does not sound like much, but it will be a heavy burden on you, so when you need help, remember who helped you without reservation."

Prefect Goyle looked at her, and his eyes narrowed. "You sound very sure of that prediction. Could it be that not all of the talents of your group have made the papers?"

"Obviously not, after all, Tiffany's green fire was unknown." Rose said calmly.

Prefect Goyle smirked. "Was being the key word there. I take it you have not seen the morning paper yet." He handed them a copy of the Daily Prophet, and walked away.

James sighed, as he opened the paper. "Rose, can we afford to buy the Daily Prophet?"

_**Dark Magic Attacks Hogwarts**_

**_Latest generation of Potters rises to the Defense of Hogwarts._**

_Late last night there was an assault on Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, resulting in multiple injuries and severe damage to the Great Hall. Eyewitnesses claim that the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore and Professor Harry Potter were joined by Mr. Potter's daughter, Tiffany Potter. While the nature of the attacker is under dispute, all of the reports agree that Miss Potter was seen throwing green fire at the attacker, while standing three meters off the floor._

James stopped reading. "Eyewitnesses? How many people saw what happened last night anyway?"

Melissa shrugged. "There were still thirty or forty students in the Hall that were not Manticores when that thing attacked, and most of them were hiding in the Hall during the battle. I would say that at least twenty-five or thirty students saw Tiffany pull her Fire Goddess act."

James blinked. "Fire Goddess?"

Melissa grinned at the blushing Tiffany. "Yes, there are some strange tales going around this morning about Tiffany being the daughter of Pele, Goddess of fire."

James grinned at Tiffany who was rolling her eyes and blushing. "It's nice to know I was right. I mean, I've always thought she was a goddess."

Only their entry into the Main Hall just then prevented Tiffany's retribution. In the Hall, a wave of talk swept over the crowd as the people in the hall saw who had come in. The group ignored it, and headed to their respective tables.

James, Tiffany and Rose headed for their normal seats, and sat down. Somebody sat down across from them, and they looked up to see Joseph Sterling, the seventh year Prefect for Gryffindor regarding them calmly as he started to eat. He took a bite and then looked at James. "I seem to recall, that after your fight with Mr. Crabbe, you told us that you had nothing to hide. I don't seem to recall being told about green fire, or you carrying a sword around the school."

James shrugged as he thought quickly. "We didn't know about Tiffany's fire until last night, and I do not carry a sword."

The Prefect sighed. "I don't know where you got it from, but I saw you swinging a large sword at that thing last night, just before Miss Potter pulled her fire act."

James sighed. "All I can say is that it is a Shaman thing. I cannot say more to anyone that is not a student of Shamanism."

The Prefect nodded. "Then you did create it out of nothing. Somebody claimed that, but there were conflicting reports."

James made a noncommittal motion with his hands. "I assume that you have some thing specific to talk about."

"Rumours actually." The Prefect looked around, and lowered his voice. "The new Prefects have been told about your Project, after Rose and Melissa cleared them, but after last night, a lot of other students are starting to put things together. I thought you might want to know that almost everyone has a theory about Manticore today, and a few of them are close to the truth."

James frowned. "Are any of the ones close to the truth dangerous?"

The Prefect looked at James. "Dangerous to whom, and what would you do about it?"

James grinned mirthlessly. "You know to what, and as for what I would do, that would depend on the person, and how dangerous they are to our Project."

"The Prefects will keep Rose and Melissa informed, as we have been doing all this time. I am certain that they will inform you of anything that requires your attention. So far, they have dealt with everything that has come up, without your extreme measures."

James thought about that, and nodded. "Fair enough, I trust them."

James called the team leaders on the ring, and told them to be listening to the talk in their houses. He was distracted for the rest of the meal, as he thought about how to control the rumours.

When the three students Professor Dumbledore had requested got to the gargoyle, they found Diana and Reginald waiting there. Diana looked at James. "We were told to be here at three."

James shrugged, and whispered the password to the gargoyle. The students went up the stairs behind the gargoyle, and knocked on the door at the top. When the Headmaster told them to enter, they trooped inside.

In Professor Dumbledore's office, they found Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall waiting. After the students greeted the Professors, they found seats and looked at Professor Dumbledore. "Miss Bray, Mr. Crabbe, would you tell your stories again, please?"

Diana looked at Jerrick, knowing that he would be the one to ask the most questions. "I had been walking with a boy, when I saw a pair of students sneaking down one of the corridors, and I followed them." She indicated Reginald. "It was him and I girl I didn't know. They joined another boy from Hufflepuff, and the girl led them to a small room. The boy from Hufflepuff left out a door on the other side of the room, and I attempted to watch them, but somebody came up behind me and stunned me."

Reginald took up the story. "Lasinda had some kind of spell going that warned her that somebody was watching. She sent Ernie out to circle around and stun whoever it was."

Reginald looked at James. "I don't like you, and had Lasinda been telling the truth last night, about the thing being harmless, I would have helped her cast it. The instant she told me that it required blood from each of us, I knew it was dark magic and refused to help her. She told Ernie to take care of me, and when I turned to see what he was doing, she stunned me. That is all I know about the whole thing."

James looked at Diana, but remembered the presence of Reginald before he could say anything. He looked at Reginald. "I don't like you either. However, I have to applaud your honesty and integrity. I wish you had shown it earlier."

Jerrick asked them both a couple of questions, and when he was done, Professor Dumbledore sent them both on their way. James still got the last word, when he told Diana to go see Rose and Adam in the hall.

He took a second to talk to Adam, asking him to explain why following people without telling anyone where you were going was a bad idea, and telling him to give her a class in using her ring for communication.

He looked at Jerrick, who was looking at his notes. "What do you think, Jerrick?"

Jerrick looked up, looking at James and the Professor, and finally settling on looking at a point halfway between them. "I don't have much on Lasinda, she's been a model student until last night. The only thing that was abnormal about her was in her first year. I talked to Michael Grey, who was in Slytherin when she arrived. When the cliques tried to pressure her into joining one of them, she cast some sort of spell that caused everyone in the clique that bothered her to have nightmares. After three days of no sleep because the nightmares were so real, they promised to leave her alone and make sure the other cliques left her alone also."

Jerrick checked his notes. "After that, she was a model student. No detentions, very few points lost, and her potions earned her house quite a few points over the years. I'm still going through her library check out record, but in the last two years, she has checked several books out of the restricted section, including one she still has, unless it's in her room with the stuff she left behind."

Professor Dumbledore asked, "what book would that be?"

Jerrick consulted his notes again. "'The Use of Emotions in Spells' is the title of it."

Professor Dumbledore frowned. "How did she get permission to check out that book? Even for a book from the restricted section, that book is carefully watched."

Jerrick looked at the Headmaster. "According to Professor Flitwick, who gave her the permission to check it out, she was studying spontaneous casting. He said that she had some kind of theory about why a person could cast wandless magic under times of stress that would normally take a wand."

James looked at the Professor. "Why is that book so dangerous, Professor?"

Professor Dumbledore sighed. "It has a chapter discussing how Dark Wizards use pain, fear and other types of suffering to power some types of magic. While it does not detail how they do it, it describes enough that any good student could figure it out."

James frowned and looked at Jerrick. "See if your father can get us a copy of that book quietly. We might need to know what she can do." He looked at the Professor. "I had Rose follow the construct back to Lasinda in the Paths this morning. She has slid into darkness, and her path will cross ours again. Sometimes it's before the war, sometimes it's in the war, depending on the path she takes from here."

Professor Dumbledore sighed again. "Where did we fail her?"

Tiffany looked at him. "Professor, from the sound of her actions first year, she was already on the path of darkness when she arrived. I think a closer look at her family might be a good idea at this point though."

Professor Dumbledore disagreed with Tiffany. "We had her for nearly seven years. We should have been able to help her in that time. Very few people travel so far down the path of darkness that they cannot be saved."

Jerrick turned his attention to Ernie Wordsmith. "Ernie is another story altogether. Until Halloween, he was a typical student. He didn't have any real enemies, or real good friends he was simply there. Pardon my stereotyping, but he was a Hufflepuff."

Jerrick looked at his notes. "Right around Halloween, he started to get moody and irritable. According to his housemates, he would get angry for little or no visible reason, and then come back later and apologize, saying it was the stress of the NEWTs. That being a completely logical excuse, most people thought nothing of it."

"As Professor Sprout has already said, everyone assumed he'd be fine once the Holidays were over, and they simply waited for him to calm down."

Professor Dumbledore sighed again, and this time there was a heavy sense of sadness in his voice as he spoke again. "I will be announcing at dinner that the Aurors found Mr. Wordsmith this morning. He was dead."

The three students stared at him in shock. Tiffany covered her mouth with one hand and reached for James's hand with the other.

Professor Dumbledore looked down at his desk. "There is one thing that we will be keeping secret, as it appears he was used in some sort of ritual, as a sacrifice."

Professor Dumbledore was staring at Ernie's school file. Nothing in it led one to believe that just three days before his seventeenth birthday, he would die a lonely death, sacrificed to another's thirst for power.

"The ritual he was killed in is one described in the book Miss Martique had checked out of the Library. I was wondering where she learned of that ritual, as I did not know she had checked that book out of the Library. The ritual creates a shell around the caster that prevents magical detection. The Aurors will not be able to find her with magic, no matter how much of it she uses."

James looked at Jerrick. "Get Jose and Asp working on this today. Finding her is a top priority until I say otherwise. I assume that your father and the Aurors will already be working on it, so they can take care of that end, but get those two on it, and warn them that she has already killed once."

James looked at Professor Dumbledore. "Sir, would you say that from the evidence we have right now, it would be safe to say that Miss Martique would use the Unforgivable Curses?"

Professor Dumbledore agreed with that statement, wondering where James was going with this.

"Then when you talk to Ernie's parents, Sir, I would say that it appears that Miss Martique used the Imperius Curse on Ernie, and she killed him when it looked like he was going to throw it off. You can offer proof in the form of his erratic behavior."

"We do not know if that is the case, Mr. Evans," said the Headmaster.

James looked at him seriously. "We do not know that it is not the case, either. If Miss Lasinda Martique takes offense to our telling people she did do that, she can come forth, and prove me wrong. Telling his parents that would ease their mind some, as well as making Ernie look better to the public. He's dead, and has paid the ultimate price for whatever he had done. Let him rest in peace, and don't make his family's last memory of him be that he was a Dark Wizard."

Professor Dumbledore looked at James for a long minute, reminding himself not to underestimate this young man. It was far too easy to remember only the violence and coldly pragmatic side of James, and ignore the compassion he hid so well.

The four of them discussed the events of the night before for a few more minutes, and then the students left.

The next few days tested James's patience severely. Between the use of Dark Wizardry at the Ball, Tiffany's Pyromancy and the death of Ernie Wordsmith, the reporters were sending more owls to the students than their families were. Since the some of the sleazy reporters were offering money for eyewitness accounts, a good many people that were in the Hall sent them stories of what happened. Some of the less scrupulous students who had not been in the Hall merely listened to the stories going around the school, and sent the reporters their own versions of what had happened.

By the day the students were ready to leave on holiday, there were impossible stories circulating everywhere. James's favorite was the one that had Tiffany burning to ashes, and rising out of them with vengeance in her eyes and wings of fire, like a Phoenix.

The first Manticores that headed for Hogsmeade to visit with their families reported a problem. More than a dozen reporters from Wizard papers around the world had gathered, and were trying to talk to everybody that came off the grounds.

James just smiled, and told them that Professor Dumbledore had anticipated this problem. He passed out Portkeys to all the Manticores, which would take them directly to Cumulus's office in Hogsmeade. Chimera disappeared for over an hour, and when they came back, they warned everyone about trying to walk to Hogsmeade.

The reason became apparent just before lunch, as a freezing rain with large hail moved in, and settled right over the area where the reporters were. Several Manticores watched the reporters, waiting for them to run for cover, but most of them stayed where they were, raising umbrellas or using other means to try to stay dry.

Mercy watched them for a minute, and then asked, "why aren't they leaving?"

James turned innocent eyes on her. "Possibly, it's because some evil, evil person sent them an Owl, telling them that the rain was sent there to drive them away while Tiffany, her parents and I attempt to leave."

Mercy looked at him severely. "James, they'll freeze if they stay there waiting for that."

James sighed. "I wish, but the cloud we found for that storm will be gone within the hour."

James looked at the reporters one more time, and stepped away from the window. "Since I don't want to lie to them, I have to be going. Tiffany and her parents are joining Rose, me and our parents for lunch, and that means we have to leave."

With almost everyone gone that was not in Manticore, and most of the Manticores spending the days with their families in Hogsmeade, the third annual Manticore snow war was held in Hogsmeade, with the teams fighting a running battle across the hillside near the Shrieking Shack. The linked teams would have had easy victories over the unlinked younger Manticores and Phoenix, except that James and Chimera set out to help the unlinked Manticores.

James and Chimera talked to the unlinked teams and Phoenix for a few minutes, and the results were quite amusing to the family members and townspeople watching.

Watching the people behind Mercy's hastily built snow fort rolling a snowball and then casting a spell on it was fun, but the results when the snowball hit a target were far more amusing.

When one of the magical snowballs hit a target, all the snow in a five-foot circle would be attracted to the snow already on the person, and fly off the ground and cover them.

The linked teams soon got over the shock of having the snow on the ground attack them, and started bombing the camp, the way James and Tiffany had done the teams the year before.

Since a snow fort by nature cannot move, the battle was fairly even, until a third group attacked from the flank, caving a wall of the fort in, and peppering the defenders with snowballs.

Hangeld wiped snow out of his eyes and looked at his attacker in surprise. Wolfpack, on skis and broomsticks, had come from the back of the Shrieking Shack to launch their attack, and that changed the fight entirely. All of Manticore closed ranks to defend their own.

The battle that raged after that ended only with nightfall. Manticore had far more people, but Wolfpack had decades of experience in warfare and fighting. Moreover, when Manticore managed to get some of their people around the back of the Shrieking Shack, they found that Wolfpack had hidden reserves busily building their own snow fort. Several Weasleys, both of Tiffany's parents, and more than a dozen other parents had sided with Wolfpack.

Manticore finally carried the day, mostly from sheer youthful exuberance and energy. Few of the adults had been doing the constant training and PT of Manticore, and all of them were years older.

As the sun was going down, James and Adam sent the teams forward in a mass rush, attacking from the west so that the setting sun was squarely in the defender's eyes, while having two teams aloft, dropping snow on the defenders.

The sheer numbers, added to the slowed reactions of the tired adults, allowed the teams to breech the fort, much as Wolfpack had done earlier. Wolfpack, being in better shape, was willing to keep fighting, mostly because they thought a bit of night fighting practice would do Manticore good, but the rest of the adults decided that dinner and something hot to drink sounded far more interesting.

With the loss of half of their forces, and their defensive position ruined, Wolfpack conceded the field, while swearing to return for vengeance next year.

The night after the snowball war, Chimera bundled up warmly, and kept Rose company as she went to the forest to talk to the Centaurs.

They were in the same clearing they had been in the first time, although there were six of them now.

Rose and Melissa moved forward to greet Rune, the Centaur that had been teaching Melissa how to heal the non-humans, while James set up a couple of folding camp chairs. He looked at the Centaurs. "I apologize for not having seats for y'all, but Hogwarts is lacking in non human comforts."

One of the Centaurs looked at James. "We do not sit as you know it, but the courtesy is appreciated."

James shrugged. "Courtesy is a small thing, between people that may have to depend on each other."

"The stars tell us that a time of great turmoil approaches," said the Centaur, "But great will be the need, before we get involved."

Rose was talking quietly to the Centaur that had spoken to them last year, an older male named Mace. "You asked me to come to you this night. Is it still your wish for me to look down the paths of what could be?"

"It is, Seer," he said quietly, "for the stars are unclear. A cusp approaches, and the stars tell us that things may go several ways depending on the actions of many people and races. Before we decide what to do, we would have more knowledge."

Rose nodded and slipped into the paths of the Centaurs in the clearing with them.

James, Hangeld and Adam were keeping an eye out, watching the forest as the girls talked quietly with the Centaurs. Rune was discussing the Healer's gift with Melissa, and one of the Centaurs was asking Tiffany about the Pyromancy.

James looked into the clearing, and watched the two races intermingle. "Tell me," he asked the Centaur standing nearby, "how did our races grow apart? The histories tell me that at one time, humans and the fey folk were friendly. What happened to that unity?"

The Centaur looked at James. "Many things happened. Some of it through pride, some through arrogance, but mostly, it was different viewpoints about the world. Most of the Peoples that humans call the Fey, Centaurs, Dryads, Nymphs and the like move through the world without disturbing it. Humans tend to look at the world, and wonder how they can change it to better suit themselves."

"Not all the human folk are like that," said a new voice, "some few of us would live in harmony with Mother Earth."

James and the other Chimeras had spun at the sound of another human voice, although the Centaurs did not seem surprised.

Thendal, the Centaur that was talking to James looked out at the edge of the clearing. "So you have said, but the majority of your folk do not."

James had his wand out, as did Adam and Emma, but the man who stood at the edge of the clearing was not making any movement.

He was a shorter man, stocky and had the tan of a man who spent most of his hours outdoors. He was dressed in leather clothes and looking at James. "So you are Rolling Thunder's apprentice. I am Terrence. Rolling Thunder has asked me to train you in the Shaman ways while you are here." He smiled wryly. "I was chosen for two reasons. First, Rolling Thunder trusts me, and second, I am one of the few Shamans on this side of the ocean that doesn't think you should not be trained any more."

James looked at him. "Why wouldn't I be trained? I have not broken any of the rules."

Terrence moved up closer to the group of Chimeras. "But whatever we teach you, your Soulbonded also learns, and many of the more conservative think that she knows too much of our ways already."

Rose had stopped looking at the Centaurs paths when Terrence had made his presence known, and now she looked at James. _"He is not a threat to us, Brother Mine, so I'm going to let you deal with him, while I deal with the Centaurs."_

"_Why do I have the feeling that your task will be easier, Sister Mine?"_

Rose grinned, and turned her attention back to the Centaurs.

James offered Terrence a seat, and was refused. "No discourtesy meant, but I do not like chairs." Terrence slipped a leather bag off his shoulders, and pulled a leather pad from it. He laid the pad down, and sat on it. "So, tell me what you have done with your training."

Adam and the other moved away, giving them privacy, and Terrence looked up. "Miss Potter, since you will be learning these things as well, I would rather teach you directly. Please join us."

Tiffany came back, and sat next to James. James was looking at Terrence. "Would you be the new presence in the forest that Nightrunner has told me about?"

Terrence smiled. "I am, and with your permission and Nightrunner's, I would like to meet your friend. It has been many years since a wolf was in this part of the world."

James reached for the now familiar touch of Nightrunner, and slipped into his thoughts. He came back a few minutes later, and looked at Terrence. "Nightrunner doesn't mind."

James and Tiffany were questioned thoroughly about what they were doing with the Shaman skills, and how they were training on their own.

Emma looked around, watching Rose deep in conversation with the Centaur, James and Tiffany talking to Terrence, and Melissa talking to Rune. "I absolutely hate standing around."

Hangeld smiled at her. "It could be worse, you know. We could be standing around in a winter rain."

Lisa and Adam were still keeping watch and one of the Centaurs came over to them with two mugs that steamed in the chill night air. "We thought you might like something warm while you wait for the Seer to finish speaking to the Elder."

Adam and Lisa gratefully accepted, and sipped the warm tea. The Centaur waited, and they made small talk while they finished the tea. Across the clearing, they could see Hangeld and Emma doing the same thing with another Centaur.

A couple of hours later, Terrence got up and put his pad away. "I have an idea of where you two are at in your training now. I will see you again, soon." He slipped into the forest, and was quickly lost to sight.

James and Tiffany sat for a few minutes longer, in silent talk, and then rose to join the others. The other Chimeras had already learned that asking James about the Shaman magic was an exercise in futility, so there were no questions about that. Emma did ask if James trusted Terrence, and James shrugged. "Rolling Thunder gave him a scroll to give to me, and writes that he trusts him. If Rolling Thunder is willing to hold his honor, I am going to trust him."

Rose spoke with the Centaur Elder for another hour or so, and when they were done, all the two of them would say was that the Elder was unwilling to commit his people to anything with the information that Rose had been able to give him, and that Rose would be returning the following year.

Christmas morning, James gathered the Manticores in the Hall again, as he had the previous year. This year, the Manticores received a nice watch, which was almost unaltered by Chimera. The only thing they did to them was make it so that all of them told exactly the same time, for synchronization purposes.

James stood up in front of them after they received their gifts. He looked out at them and spoke quietly. "You all have accepted this mission of ours, and the possible consequences of it. I thank you for it, and so does Tiffany. We know why most of you are going, and we don't have the words to tell you what it means to us."

James looked at Melissa, and as he had arraigned earlier, Melissa opened her Empathy, broadcasting to the Manticores. Love, Respect, Admiration, Pride, all the things that James and Tiffany felt in Manticore, about Manticore flowed over the crowd. Even the fear for, and worry about them was there, but it was muted, a single note in the background.

Melissa held it for just a second, long enough to be sure that everyone felt it, and then stopped. James smiled at the crowd, and then he and Tiffany saluted them all. "Fortunately, we have something better than words. Now, your families await you in Hogsmeade."

After the holidays, the time passed quickly. Manticore was planning their first live mission, and one that was very dangerous at that. It's no wonder that few pranks were played, and few of the Manticores got into trouble.

Richard March was an exception. He had gone to a Dance put on by his girlfriend's school, and while he was there another boy jumped on him. The other boy was drunk, and Richard handled him easily, which should have ended the matter.

The boy had brothers though, and by the time the story got to them, they heard that Richard had beaten him to a pulp, after attacking him from behind.

All four of them confronted Richard. Surrounded by superior numbers and having his girlfriend to protect, Richard overreacted.

A few seconds after they surrounded him, Richard and Cathy were in the midst of three groaning, bloody bodies, and one limp, unmoving figure.

While the one was only unconscious, the fight attracted the attention of the staff, who called the police. Cathy's parents showed up, and that's when all hell broke loose.

Richard had been given a Portkey to get him back to Hogwarts. In full view of four police, a dozen students, two paramedics and three staff members, Richard simply vanished.

Those people didn't matter, as they could be dealt with the way Wizards had always dealt with Muggles that saw something that they shouldn't.

The local TV station, in search of a story for a slow news night, had been broadcasting back to the studio, and got a very good, if slightly off-center picture of Richard looking at his watch, and then disappearing.

They had found a good story for the night.

_A/N: OK, I was going to end this chapter with the start of summer, and only have the Giantlands mission in the next chapter, but this one is getting a bit long. Twelve thousand words of long, actually. Therefore, next chapter, we'll find out what the results of this are going to be._

_We'll also meet the ministry team, all the people that will be offered Manticore slots this year, and settle a few dangling problems before the mission. Before I go though, I have to say a few things to those of you that review._

_First, to those of you that have me on author watch._

_Second, to those of you that have added this story to favorites._

_Last, but not least, to Taintless, who has added "Immortality" to a C2 community_

_To all of you, I apologize again for the delay in the last couple of months, and Greeneyes tells me to tell you that she will attempt to keep me in one piece until I finish this._

_You have my thanks, both for reading my offering, and for being so kind to it._

_Requiem for a Dream: My longest running reviewer, Bless you, and I hope I continue to hear from you. Yes, Rose and Melissa will be a couple, and we will see how it affects them, Manticore, and the rest of the world._

_Elfy19: Yes, Tiffany has a names for James, but she's a more private type of girl, and uses it over the Soulbond. Fudge would be out of the Ministry in any normal world, but I despise him, and I have plans for him. Stephanie will be a Manticore, but she's not playing. She has never been allowed to have an opinion of her own, and that may be interesting when she finds out that not everything is as "My father says."_

_Aeli Kindara: My most prolific reviewer recently, (smile) I am sorry about the long wait there, but my Beta went away for most of the summer, and when she returned, I had both hands in casts. (Can you say rock-climbing accident?) That's all over now, and I can go back to updating as normal for me._

_"May thy road be ever smooth, and the wind ever at thy back."_

_Love,_

_Raven_


	29. Beauxbatons and Curses

**Chapter 29**

_**Beauxbatons and Curses**_

Richard March reappeared at the front gate of Hogwarts. Since the Winged Flame charity couldn't make a Port-Key that would work on the grounds of Hogwarts, they had arraigned for Hagrid to meet him there, and Hagrid was already opening the gates. "Hello Richard," Hagrid said as he opened the gates. "Did you have a good time?"

Richard grinned wryly as he stepped through the gates. "I saw Cathy, defended her honor against a Muggle, got in yet another fight, and ended the night by disappearing in front of a bunch of Muggles, including some police and a television crew. I guess you could say it was an interesting night at least."

Hagrid stared at him for a minute. "Aye, it sounds like it," he agreed, "and explaining it all to Professor Dumbledore and James is likely to be just as interesting."

Richard winced. "Isn't it, though." He started toward the castle after Hagrid shut and locked the gates. He sighed, and raised his ring. "Chimera one, this is Sphinx two."

James froze as he heard Richard's call. He looked at Tiffany, and just for a minute, considered ignoring the call. Tiffany frowned at him, even as she sat up and began buttoning her blouse. _"I could hate him very easily right now,"_ he sent, even as he raised his ring to respond. "Sphinx two, this is Chimera one."

Richard winced again at the frustration in James's voice. This was not going to be fun. "I might have found a slight flaw in the timed Portkey you gave me. For example, what if the person with it were being filmed by Muggles, or talking to the police at the time it went off?"

James and Tiffany stared at each other as they listened to Richard's story. Tiffany began straightening James's robes as James thought about it. "Sphinx two, Ravenclaw One is waiting to escort you to your house, get him to take you to the Headmaster's office instead, we'll join you there."

Tiffany was already on her ring, waking Jerrick but James didn't bother with a ring. _"Rose, wake up,"_ he sent, reaching with the emotional bond that was the base of the twin bond.

"_Alright already, I am awake. What's the matter?"_ Rose was not happy to be awoken at a very late hour.

James relayed the story, and then got to the point. _"I need you to owl father tonight, telling him we have this under control, and while you're at it, owl mom and have her check on the Feathers. They might be having second thoughts at this point."_

"_Anything else, Brother mine?"_

"_Not unless you have a Time-Turner Tiffany and I can use."_

Rose considered the desire, frustration, and other emotions James was holding in check, and smiled to herself. _"You'll have plenty of time for that later, say after the war?" _she sent in an arch tone.

James stuck a mental tongue out at Rose. _"When you choose your mate, Flower Child, I'm going to remember every snide comment, innuendo, and crack at our expense, and you will pay for them all."_

Rose giggled to herself as she got out of bed to start writing notes.

James's next call was to Professor Dumbledore. "Hogwarts one, this is Chimera one."

Professor Dumbledore looked at his ring. He knew James and Tiffany were up, waiting for Richard to return, but he hadn't realized it was that late. He considered the time and sighed. It was just about the right time for Richard to have gotten back, called James and for James to be calling him, meant that something had happened that James thought he should know about.

"Chimera one, this is Hogwarts one. Should I assume that something has happened?"

"Roger that, Hogwarts one. Sphinx two, Ravenclaw one, Phoenix two and I are all enroute your location. We'll explain when we get there."

Richard and Professor Flitwick were the first to arrive, and Professor Dumbledore kept it light, asking about Cathy and the Feathers until the gargoyle announced the other three.

After everyone was settled, Richard told his story again. James and Jerrick asked him a few questions while Professor Dumbledore relaxed slightly. He had a bit more information than the others had, and was not worried about this, unless it affected Manticore somehow.

James was coming to the same conclusion. "I think we can keep Manticore out of this. The Winged Flame set it up, and while we, as the Winged Flame will have to reconsider the use of timed Portkeys, that is not a Manticore thing." James shrugged. "It was the best option for keeping Richard from doing underage magic though."

Jerrick agreed with a warning. "I think that may depend on if the Television crew was broadcasting live, or merely recording the story for later. If the Aurors have to obliviate several hundred people, they may look into this more than if it is only the people on the actual site."

Jerrick thought about that for a minute and then shrugged. "Since we lack data on that right now, we'll just have to wait and see. I think we might have a harder time explaining how an old Wizard family member is intimately familiar with Muggle martial arts."

James shook that concern off as he relaxed. ""That is part of a study Melissa, Emily and April are doing. They can explain it easily."

Jerrick looked dubious, but before he could say anything, a new voice interrupted their talk. "Pardon me, Headmaster, are you." The voice trailed off as the head in the fire saw all the people staring at him. "Right. I see you are aware of tonight's events. Would you mind terribly if I were to Floo in to talk for a bit?"

"Not at all," Professor Dumbledore said calmly, "just give me a few minutes to take down the wards on the fireplace."

James looked at Jerrick. "Who was that, and what do you know about him?"

Jerrick smiled faintly. "His name is Marstil Zelany, he's the head of the Obliviators and one of father's oldest friends. He's fair, honest and very much a by-the-book- person."

James considered that and frowned. "That could be good or bad. If we didn't do anything wrong, he'll probably leave us alone. If we did do something wrong, he'll feel required to do something, and that could be bad."

Before anyone could say anything more, the fire flared and a man stumbled out of the Floo Network. They examined him quietly as he dusted the soot off. Marstil Zelany was a short man, barely over one and half meters. Thin and wiry, he used short quick movements that suggested a great deal of nervous energy. As he cleaned the soot from his hair, you could see the streaks of gray at his temples.

He finished dusting himself off, and quickly examined all the people in front of him. When he was finished, he turned to Professor Dumbledore. "Hello, Professor, it has been far too long."

Professor Dumbledore smiled at him, and his eyes were twinkling. "It has been some time since you were here, but somehow, I remember it as if it was only yesterday."

Marstil flushed guiltily and turned to Jerrick. "Hello, Jerrick, how are your parents?"

Jerrick smiled. "Fine, as of our last letter, although father was saying you never come around anymore."

The Auror made an excuse without meeting Jerrick's eyes. Jerrick merely nodded, but James saw his eyes narrow slightly. James and Tiffany were both watching him, as James asked Rose, _"Is he trouble?"_

"_Not tonight, but in some of the futures he can be either an ally or an enemy,"_ Rose said, as she followed James's path to his meeting with Marstil Zelany, and following the Auror's path forward from there. Few people knew that Rose could not follow the path of someone that she'd never met, unless their path crossed the path of someone Rose could follow, and that was just the way James wanted it.

Marstil Zelany turned to James and Tiffany. "You two I know of, from the papers at least. Tiffany Potter and James," he thought for a second, "Evans, I believe."

They nodded, and James shook his hand, noting the firm grip and the searching gaze. He turned to Tiffany. "Tell me, Miss Potter, do you really grow five meters tall and spit green fire?" His tone was amused, but his sharp eyes watched Tiffany closely as he waited for her answer.

"Neither, I'm afraid. I can use the Pyromancy, but I can't spit it, and the whole growth thing is a wild story made up by a student to sell to a reporter."

"Pity, that is. It could be a useful talent if you could do either." He looked at Richard, and then turned to Professor Dumbledore. "We have business, Professor, if you're done with the students?"

Professor Dumbledore smiled faintly. "Actually, Mr. Evans and Miss Potter are responsible for tonight, and I thought they should have a chance to have their say. Mr. Clearwater is here at their request."

Marstil's eyes had swept the group again as the Headmaster spoke, and now he sat down facing Richard. "Why don't we start with your version of the events? Start with how you got off the grounds, and go from there."

Richard smiled, looking towards London as if he could see Cathy. "I was off the grounds because I'm in love, and very lucky." He told Zelany about Cathy, and how the Winged Flame had helped the two of them get permission to attend each other's dances and other school events.

James interrupted him at that point. "His disappearance tonight was an error on the part of the Winged Flame. We made the Portkey so that it would go off at a certain time so that Richard wouldn't have to do magic, or miss his curfew," James flushed, and carefully avoided everyone's eyes, "even if Cathy and he were too busy to remember it."

The Head Obliviator nodded, as he looked back at Richard. "They were not expecting you to be the center of attention."

Richard grinned and said, "neither was I, actually." He went over the events that had led up to the fight with the ex-boyfriend and the attack by his brothers after that. Obliviator Zelany asked a couple of questions as he looked at a scroll he pulled from his robes.

When he was done, he sat in silent thought for a minute, and then looked at Richard. "Your story matches with everything I learned at the scene, although I would like to know how you defeated four people so quickly."

Richard scratched his head, not noticing the sharp glance that action drew from the Auror. "A little luck and a lot of training," he said, looking for the truth, without saying too much. "Two years ago, an Educational Society called the Fraternal Order of Manticore was formed. Their goal is achieving the best possible educational results possible for every member. To that end, they are testing a number of theories about the best way to get an education. One of the many theories being tested is that the self-discipline of the martial arts would translate to discipline in good study habits."

Marstil Zelany was making a few notes in his scroll, but his mind was not on the case. He was thinking hard, and remembering everything that people had said or done since he arrived. He was struck with an odd thought and decided to test it. Turning to the headmaster, but watching the students, he spoke. "I believe I have everything that I need from you. Unless you need them for something, Professor, I think you can let the children go to bed."

The Auror kept his face blank as Richard and Jerrick both looked to James for instructions, not the headmaster. He filed that away, and examined them again. He noted the rings they all wore, even Tiffany, and decided that they must be a Manticore thing. Good. That would make finding all the Manticores very easy when he wanted to find them.

He watched as the students left, with James in the lead and all of them falling into a single line that seemed vaguely familiar. He watched them go, trying to remember, but was distracted by Professor Dumbledore.

"How much trouble is Mr. March going to be in?" The headmaster inquired calmly.

"Unless something turns up that he didn't tell us, none. He didn't use any magic himself, acted like a Muggle, and wouldn't be a problem except for that Portkey. We will be sending a strongly worded letter to the Winged Flame, discouraging the use of any more of their timed Portkeys." Marstil said, still picturing the younger people walking out.

Professor Dumbledore smiled faintly. "I don't believe you'll have that problem anymore. Mr. Evans rarely makes the same mistake twice."

Marstil Zelany was about to ask a couple of questions about Mr. Evans and his friends when his eyes caught a gleam on the Professor's hand. Professor Dumbledore was wearing a Manticore ring. He thought quickly but couldn't remember if Professor Flitwick had been wearing one or not, but decided to hold his tongue. The two chatted about other things for a few minutes and then the Auror made his goodbyes.

Back in his office, he finished his report and filed it with his recommendations. After a few minutes thought, he took out a fresh sheet of parchment and wrote down his impressions of the strange students he'd met tonight. Those four, no, five Manticores had been different from any students he'd met before. Of course, the Headmaster had always been a bit strange, but the students were very strange. He leaned back and closed his eyes. He replayed the scene as the Manticores left again. Where had he seen people walking like that? The arms and legs moving in perfect unison, the controlled stride, it was something he'd seen somewhere before if only he could remember where.

He stopped and started over at the beginning, going over everything he could remember about his visit to Hogwarts. Ironically, it wasn't an action or sentence, but a name that brought the memory back, of being in Muggle London a few years back, watching soldiers march in a parade.

He noted that fact down, and looked at the pieces of the puzzle that he had. There were too many pieces missing right now, he decided. He looked at what he did have and decided he could justify a few carefully worded inquiries based on what he did have.

Very careful inquiries, because if Jerrick was involved, Adrian Clearwater might be involved as well, and Zelany had no illusions about his ability to hide anything from Adrian for long. Of course, he could just drop by for a visit and ask his friend outright. He finally sent off a routine request for information on Richard March and the Winged Flame, normal in a case like this. If that turned up anything, he'd decide then what he was going to do.

Marstil Zelany left his office just about dawn, as the very group he was thinking about was gathering for their morning exercise. Had he seen the groups doing their physical training routines, he'd have had many more questions.

James looked around the various groups and smiled. The Manticores had changed dramatically in two and half years and he was proud of them all. He looked at Chimera. Tiffany and he had changed the most, but all of them were different. James grinned as he remembered listening to a half dozen of Manticore's women talking about Chimera. They had been discussing Chimera's physical abilities, with a few asides about their best features.

Hangeld was nearly as tall as his father, and nobody believed he'd stop at his current height of two and a quarter meters. His strength was phenomenal, as every Manticore knew, but the women said that his best features were his eyes. Deep brown and expressive, they showed his feelings as clearly as any sign could have.

Hangeld's partner, Emma Weasley was hard to miss. She had inherited the bushy thick hair of her mother Hermione Granger, and the startling red color of her father Ron Weasley. Put together and worn waist length, it was a banner advertising her presence like a perfect sunset. The only thing that was brighter than her hair was her smile. Emma smiled at everyone, believing that strangers were just friends waiting to be found.

James looked to their left, and there was Adam and Lisa. James smiled at the contrast. Lisa Malfoy was quiet, somber and reserved. Pale skinned even after summer training, she appeared even paler next to Adam, of whom it was said that he could tan during a British winter. James didn't quite believe that, but it was true that Adam was the first to tan each summer and the last to lose that tan. Lisa was quiet around people she didn't know, and since Adam was always soft-spoken and unfailingly polite, most people outside of Manticore considered them the nice pair of Chimeras.

Manticore knew better. Adam and Lisa pulled a great many pranks, although their pranks were not the flash and flare of the twins, or the booming explosions of Emma and Hangeld's prank accidents, but equally annoying. One of their best so far was the Consonant Confusion Cookie. Eating this cookie would cause every third consonant in your speech to change. You might try to say "Good morning, Professor," but what the listeners would hear would be "Good Jornizg, Phofesder," or something similar.

Chimera finished stretching, and James led them in the exercises of the day as he looked at the last pair of Chimeras. Melissa Xavier and Rose Evans were quite similar in many ways. Both of them understood people better than any other Chimera, and they were, because of their respective talents, very reserved. Rose could see the future of anyone she met, and Melissa could feel his or her emotions. Those two talents tended to make people nervous about being around the two of them. Most of their close friends were in Chimera, and all of their friends were Manticores, who understood the restraints they lived by. Neither of them would use the power they had for personal reasons.

Physically, they were similar as well, being of medium height with long dark hair and the lithe bodies of trained athletes. It was that thought that derailed James's train of thought. He looked at Chimera, actually looked at them, not at what his mind and memory told him he would see.

James flushed red as he noticed that the ladies of Chimera were growing up, and out. All of them had curves that had nothing to do with physical training. _"How did I miss this?"_ he wondered.

"_Possibly because the only curves you ever see are mine?"_ came Tiffany's amused thought. "_Or maybe it's because you don't want to think of your sister growing up and thinking about doing the things we do?"_

"_Please, just stop right there. You are so right that I don't want to think about that at all."_ James shivered and looked at Chimera again. With his awareness of their growing maturity came a new worry. James looked at Chimera and thought. Tiffany was no help here, and James turned to Rose. _"Rose,"_ he said, _"what are the chances that someone will try to break up Chimera?"_

Rose blinked, until she caught his thinking. She blushed, and looked at her friends. A few minutes later, as they lined up for the short, fast run that would end PT for the day, she finally answered him.

_"Lisa and Hangeld are safe. You know how most Wizards feel about the Malfoys and Non-humans. Adam is too quiet and ordinary to inspire the kind of crush that causes people to try and break up a couple. Emma is so wrapped up in Hangeld that she wouldn't even notice the attempt, and I have this lunatic brother that keeps me safe. Plus, like Adam I just am not going to have the kind of looks that make men turn and look again."_

James started to say something, but Rose cut him off._ "It's true, ok? I know it, in ways you can't begin to understand. The problem we're going to have is Melissa. She is going to have the kind of beauty that makes people stare, and once we're out of Hogwarts, nobody is going to know or think that she reads minds, and some of them are going to hit on her."_

James frowned as he brought Chimera to a stop at the end of the run. He looked at Rose, and touched her with their bond. She looked at him. _"I am not worried about after school,"_ he said gently, _"because by then, she's going to be too attached to be separated by someone else, isn't she?"_

Rose's face flamed as she started the cooling down stretching. _"Yes."_

Manticore went on planning the Giantlands mission. Since they had so much time to plan the mission, James excused the fifth and seventh year students from planning so they could put more time into the OWLs and NEWTs.

March passed quickly, and all too soon, it was the first of April, and time to meet the Beauxbatons Quidditch team. They were going to be for the rest of the year, mingling with the students from Hogwarts and in view of that, Professor Dumbledore had everyone outside that morning.

The Hogwarts Quidditch season had been truly spectacular this year. With four or more linked people on three of the teams, almost all of the matches had gone over three hours. Between the experience of the twins, Adam's strategies, and their whole team being linked, Gryffindor was at the top of the standings, closely followed by Ravenclaw who had pulled off a marvelous combined sneak/feint to beat Slytherin. Hufflepuff was at the bottom of the standing, not because they had a bad team, but because the advantages of the links and Starblades were simply too great to be beaten, although Hufflepuff had come close in their match against Ravenclaw. They had actually scored more points against Slytherin then Ravenclaw had, and only the Slytherin capture of the Snitch had given the Slytherin team the victory.

Emma Weasley grinned as she looked around. The Minister of Magic was here, along with a few other Ministry officials, and she was looking forward to them finding out something that Professor Dumbledore and the Hufflepuffs had found out only this morning. Gryffindor was supposed to play Beauxbatons for the Inter-School title, but as the Hufflepuffs had found out just before breakfast this morning, just twenty minutes after the Headmaster had, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Slytherin had all declined to play.

At least, the linked members of those teams had declined, and without them, none of the houses had teams. James and Tiffany had talked to them all the day before, asking them to decline to play. His reasoning had been simple and honest. James wanted to be sure that Hogwarts was invited to next year's Tourney, and he didn't think they would be if one of the linked teams humiliated the unsuspecting Beauxbatons team.

It had taken him nearly two hours to convince the others, but in the end, they had agreed. James and Tiffany had told Professor Dumbledore this morning, and he, in turn had told the Hufflepuffs.

Emma looked over where a wide-eyed Hufflepuff team stood near the Headmaster. They were going to be introduced as the Hogwarts champions, and that would be the first anyone outside of Manticore heard about it. Emma was happily anticipating that little bombshell.

Jerrick Clearwater had gotten May-ling off to the side while they waited. "A little bird has informed me that you might have access to a great deal of ready money."

May-ling frowned at Jerrick, but agreed that she might have a few Galleons put away.

"And," Jerrick said thoughtfully, "you have been to Hogwarts before, and could be considered an alumni?"

May-ling stared at Jerrick, wondering where this was going. "It has been three hundred years or so, but yes, I could be considered an alumni."

Jerrick smiled slyly. "Another little bird informs me that the Firebolt Broomstick Company is going to unveil their latest, greatest Broomstick on Monday. If someone were to purchase seven of them, donating them to the Hogwarts Quidditch team." He allowed his voice to trail off as comprehension dawned in May-ling's eyes.

May-ling thought about it for a minute "Your little bird still doesn't like to lose, does he? Even when he's not actually playing in the match."

Jerrick grinned. "It was a female bird that mentioned this to me. Apparently, they simply don't have the time to get Starblades before the match, and the new Firebolt Inferno is supposed to be the very best short of a Starblade."

May-ling nodded. "I thought something was strange about this. James is far too loyal to offer to buy another company's Broomsticks. Rose is far more pragmatic about that type of stuff. Tell the little flower that the owl will be on its way today."

Jerrick looked around. "Just out of curiosity, how did you get so much money?"

May-ling looked away. "You would be surprised," she said bitterly, "at what you can save, when you have a thousand years to do it, and you're too young to buy anything of importance." May-ling left with that comment, rejoining the crowd waiting for their visitors. Jerrick stared after her, wondering again what it would be like to be a child forever.

Emma thoughts were interrupted by the sound of thunder. Since almost everyone knew how the students from Beauxbatons had arrived for the Tri-Wizard's Tournament during Harry's day, they started watching the sky.

They were not disappointed, as Debra Valentine was the first to spot a rapidly growing speck in the sky. It grew quickly and soon everyone could see it. It was a tornado, a spinning twirling cylinder one hundred and fifty meters high, with a dark mass in the middle.

It settled in front of the crowd, raising a breeze that smelled of foreign shores and started to shrink. As the mass was revealed, it became apparent that it was a small cottage. The last of the tornado disappeared and the front door opened. James looked at Rose, and she just rolled her eyes. She had known James too long not to know exactly what he was thinking right now. When they went to Beauxbatons next year, they would have to make a dramatic entrance that topped arriving in a tornado. She turned her attention back to the people now coming out of the cottage.

Nine people had come out of the cottage, and they started toward the headmaster and the Ministry officials. The woman in front was tall and slender, with short blonde hair and gray eyes that swept the crowd. She stopped in front of Professor Dumbledore and held out her hand. "Professor Dumbledore," she said in a voice tinged with a French accent, "I am Headmistress L'Amour." Professor Dumbledore greeted her, and then introduced her to Minister Fudge.

Minister Fudge, seeing the two photographers that Professor Dumbledore had allowed to be here, began making a speech. His speech was platitudes and really quite boring, even for a politician. James and Tiffany looked at each other, and concentrated. A few minutes later, a flock of birds flew out of the Forbidden Forest and started toward the group on the lawn. Minister Fudge saw them coming and cut his remarks short, scurrying inside before the flock ever got close to him. James and Tiffany released the birds with their thanks, and followed the crowd in.

The arrival of the Beauxbatons had been timed so that they would be just in time for lunch, and the Houses settled into their seats. The Beauxbatons were sitting at the Hufflepuff table, and Professor Dumbledore stood up at the head table. "Honored guests, fellow instructors and students, today we welcome the Beauxbatons Quidditch team to Hogwarts in the start of what might be an annual competition between schools from around the world."

"Allow me to introduce the Beauxbatons team," said Professor Dumbledore. Professor Dumbledore had been less than surprised to hear that Gryffindor would not be representing Hogwarts this year, but he had thought that it would be because James was worried about the reporters that would be talking to all the players.

That James would be trying to start more branches of Manticore was not something he'd thought of. James was a control freak, and the idea that he'd let a group of Manticores work someplace that he couldn't watch over them was not an idea that the Headmaster had thought of. He had been surprised to hear that Hufflepuff would be the Hogwarts team though. He pushed those thoughts away as he introduced the visiting team.

"Sitting to my right is Headmistress L'Amour." Everyone had seen her of course but she stood up nodding at the students. She sat down as Professor Dumbledore turned to a man that most of the staff had already recognized. "The Quidditch Instructor for Beauxbatons is none other than Oliver Wood, once the captain for Gyffindor's team." Oliver Wood had not lost any of the personal charm that he'd had in Harry's first couple of years. It had matured into a quiet handsomeness that had a few of the older female students looking twice.

"Lucy Misthold is the Team captain and plays the Seeker." A short slim blonde girl with delicate features stood up from the Hufflepuff table.

"Richard Lee is their Keeper." The short stocky boy that stood up was clearly of an Asian descent.

"Mike Apple and Trae Cale are the Beaters." Mike Apple was a tall dark haired boy with wide shoulders he was still growing into, and Trae Cale was a shorter red haired girl with a very solid look and a hint of mischief in her brown eyes.

"The Chasers for Beauxbatons are Maria and Miguel Sanchez and Arthur Pendragon." James and Rose ignored the two brown haired people that stood up, searching for their cousin. Which cousin, or how closely related he was they didn't know, but the Pendragon Clan was too closely intermarried for him not to be a relation of some sort. Arthur Pendragon was a tall blonde boy with dark green eyes. As he stood up, he radiated haughty distain until his eyes met Rose's.

An electric thrill shot through Rose, and was echoed a second later as he looked at James. From the look of surprise that flickered across his face, he'd felt it as well. He hid it well though, just taking a closer look at them before sitting down, and turning his head to say something to Miguel sitting next to him.

"What was that?" asked Tiffany.

"Mom once said that we'd know if we met another Pendragon. I think now I understand why she was so certain we would know," James told her.

"And if the Hufflepuff team will stand up, I'll introduce them to the guests from Beauxbatons." Minister Fudge's head had come up as he heard the headmaster name the team that would be playing, and there was a puzzled frown on his face.

"Mandy Mayfair, Team captain and Keeper." Mandy was a serious looking seventh year girl with light brown hair and eyes.

"Xavier Montgomery is the Seeker." Xavier was a small fourth year boy with a ready smile and sharp eyes that never stopped moving.

"The Chasers are Elias Whittaker, Gerry Marshal and Emily Whittaker." Elias was a big dark haired fifth year, who would have seemed larger in any school that didn't have Hagrid and Hangeld to compare him too. Gerry was a slightly built tall redhead in his fifth year. Emily (no relation to her teammate.) Whittaker was an average looking girl, brown haired and brown eyed, whom everyone forgot about until they saw her fly. She'd been on the Hufflepuff team since her second year. Now in her sixth year, she was widely acknowledged to be the finest flyer in Hogwarts, and a big piece of their team.

"Finally, the Hufflepuff Beaters are Colin Lupin and Cary Fudge." Colin Lupin, (3rd cousin, once removed to Remus Lupin.) was a quiet boy with determined eyes and curly black hair.

James grinned as Cary blushed to find himself the target of so many eyes. Cary Fudge had tried out for and won the Beater slot just three months earlier when the fifth year that was in the position quit, deciding that studying for the OWLs was more important to him.

Cary had come to James and Rose for some tips, and they had not only given him those tips, but had spent a good many hours showing him and Colin as much as they could on the pitch. While the two of them were not as good as the twins yet, James thought they had the potential to be better. The only thing that kept the twins in front right now was their greater experience and twinbond.

In Hufflepuff's game against Gryffindor, the Beaters had flown an inspired game, with James and Rose being pushed harder than anyone had done since they came to Hogwarts. James had landed after the game and had left the rest of Chimera celebrating their victory to cross to Colin and Cary. "Are both of you coming back to the team next year?" At their confused nods, James had grinned. "Rose, we're going to have to pay more attention to our practices."

While the Minister of Magic finished the speech he'd started outside, the seventh year Gryffindor Prefect slid down the table until he was close to James. After Minister Fudge finished his remarks and Professor Dumbledore started the meal, he looked at James. "Gryffindor house is a little surprised to find out they are not representing Hogwarts in this Match," he said mildly.

James shrugged. "I bet they are, but it doesn't fit my current plans," he stated bluntly.

"And just what am I supposed to tell them? That you don't want to play, or that you have better things to do?" He raised his hands at James's look. "Yes, I know you actually do have something better to do, but they don't and unless you're going to let me tell them what you are doing, I have to think of something to tell Gyrffindor."

Lisa looked down the table at him. "Just tell them that if we humiliate them this year, we might not be invited to play next year, when we can defeat more schools."

James was looking at Lisa flatly. "You had better hope that there are no American teams there next year, because I've already told you I won't help."

Lisa cut him off in annoyance. "Look you great bloody prat, this isn't about countries, it's about schools. We're not asking you to help a European country beat the US, we're asking you to help Hogwarts beat the North American School of Wizardry or the Salem Institute."

James considered that for a minute, and went back to eating. "By the way, your description of me is wrong," he said mildly, "I am not bleeding, so I can't be bloody."

Lisa stared at him for a second and went back to her food. A minute later, James and Tiffany jerked, and put their hands below the table. When they brought them back, there was a spot of blood on them. They looked at it for a second, and then James looked at Lisa. _"Right. Now, your description of me is correct. I am bleeding, so I am bloody. Since I am the one that does not want y'all lying, I will overlook the fact that you just stuck a fork in my leg. However, you made Tiffany bleed, and for that, you're going to pay."_

Lisa looked up, startled. _"I didn't touch… the Soulbond. I forgot that injuring one of you is injuring both of you now."_ She looked at Tiffany. _"Sorry about getting you caught up in this."_

Tiffany waved it off. _"You just startled me a bit. I would suggest that you get out of here though, as James is trying to decide between "Robe Removal" and "The Naked Truth" to use on you."_

Lisa looked at James, who was eating slowly and turning two familiar looking disks over in one hand. He put the disks away and took out an old Muggle coin he carried everywhere. Since Rose had a matching one, Chimera figured that it was one of the myriad little twin things that they hadn't explained yet. He flipped the coin, looked at it and smiled. "Heads." He grinned at Lisa, and went back to eating. Lisa stared at him for a minute, shrugged, and continued her meal.

Emma had listened to the entire thing, and now looked at Lisa. "Lisa, why aren't you leaving?"

Lisa glanced at her, but didn't stop eating. "Why bother? All that does is make it more fun for James. He's like a cat, the more he can play with you, that happier he is. Besides, I have better things to do than look over my shoulder until he gets me."

Rose giggled, and her comment set all of Chimera to snickering. "Gee Brother Mine, you've been compared to a St Bernard, wolverines, and now cats. Have you ever considered why that might be? You are showering regularly, aren't you?"

James looked at his smiling friends and grinned back. _"Actually, Sister Mine, Tiffany and I haven't showered since we found a private bathtub big enough for two. Would you like more details?"_

Chimera stared at Tiffany and James. Tiffany had her head down and was blushing fiercely. _"Well,"_ she said defensively, _"it's much easier to wash his back than mine, and he has the best hands."_

"Stop right there." No one was quite sure which of Chimera's ladies said that, but the next line was Emma. "That is just TMI, thank you."

Tiffany looked at Emma as if she'd lost her mind. _"You need to pull your mind out of the gutter. All I was going to say is that he has the best hands for shampooing hair ever."_

After lunch was over, Minister Fudge was waiting for Professor Dumbledore. "Albus, why is the Hufflepuff team playing? They're at the bottom of the school standings."

The Headmaster sighed. Turning to Headmistress L'Amour, he spoke. "Would you excuse us for a minute? I'll explain everything to you in a few minutes."

Headmistress L'Amour nodded, watching Professor Dumbledore. "I hope you have a good explanation," she said calmly. She walked a few paces away, leaving the two men alone.

Professor Dumbledore turned back to Minister Fudge. "I believe the Hufflepuff team is playing because the other teams declined the honor. Why, I was not told, but it was there choice."

Minister Fudge frowned. "Order them to play, Albus, at least the team at the top, the Gryffindors."

Professor Dumbledore leaned closer, playing on the Minister's prejudices. "Lisa Malfoy is the Captain of that team." Before Minister Fudge could say anything, Professor Dumbledore continued. "I would think you'd enjoy seeing Cary play. He is one of the Beaters for Hufflepuff, and the Gyrffindor Beaters say he's very good."

Minister Fudge's face ran through a series of emotions. "Do you think they have a chance to win, Albus?"

"Of course they do. In fact, I would say they have an excellent chance."

Minister Fudge thought for a few minutes, torn between having his blood play, and fear that Hogwarts, and by extension, his office, would lose. Finally, he nodded slowly and looked at Albus. "Fair enough. But, if Hogwarts loses this year, because you have less than the best team playing, when the invitations go out next year, Hogwarts will decline to attend, due to lack of interest." He turned and walked down the hall, leaving the Headmaster staring after him.

Professor Dumbledore waited a minute, and then called James. "Chimera one, this is Hogwarts one."

"Hogwarts one, Chimera one here."

"Are you ready for your meeting?"

"Roger that, Hogwarts one. ETA your office?"

Professor Dumbledore frowned, and then remembered that ETA stood for Estimated Time of Arrival. James was asking when he should be at the Headmaster's office for their meeting. He thought for a minute. "If you would be there in 30 minutes, that will give me time to prepare Headmistress L'Amour."

"Roger that, Hogwarts one. Thirty minutes."

Professor Dumbledore turned and walked over to Headmistress L'Amour. "If you would come with me, I'll explain what is going on."

Headmistress L'Amour walked silently for a minute, and then spoke to Professor Dumbledore. "I assume you have a good reason for not having your best players facing us."

"My pardons, Madame L'Amour. The change was only made this morning, and I will explain everything in my office."

They walked in silence to the gargoyle, and Professor Dumbledore made his visitor comfortable before sitting in his chair. "You're about to meet a remarkable bunch of students who have something to tell you, and to ask you. When they are done talking to you, I think you will understand why the change was made."

Headmistress L'Amour studied her counterpart with a speculative eye. "Would this have anything to do with the strange groups of students in each house?"

"Possibly," Professor Dumbledore said, cocking his head as the gargoyle told him that visitors were on their way up, "but why don't we let them speak for themselves?"

The next few minutes were settling in and introductions as most of Chimera found seats. James remained on his feet. He looked at the guest. "I'll tell you straight up, I didn't want to do this," he said bluntly. He took a deep breath and looked at Rose. _"Are you sure about this?"_

_"Not yet, Brother Mine, but by the time you are done, we will be. Just tell her about the prophecy for now. Melissa and I will let you know which story to tell her at the end."_ Rose said, distracted slightly as she meshed with Melissa and they started examining the Headmistress with their talents.

James nodded, and looked at the Headmistress. "Eight hundred years ago, Elric and Cassandra Evans spoke a prophecy, and the time of their prophecy is here." James went over the prophecy, as he'd done so many times before. Line by line, he explained what they knew and what they thought. They demonstrated the link and the abilities of their group for her. "That is why we dropped out of the Match," James said, "We can destroy any unlinked team, and when you add the Starblades to it, your team would have been outmatched from the start. We might have ended this tradition before it ever started."

Headmistress L'Amour rolled the scroll James had given her and thought for a minute. "That explains why you dropped out, but why did." Her voice trailed off. "You have more links than just this one." It was not a question, but a statement.

James looked at Rose. _"Well? Which story do I tell her?"_

Rose grinned at him. _"Truthfully, which story would you tell her if I wasn't here?"_

James raised an eyebrow. _"Are you asking me how much I would tell her based on my feelings? How much I would tell a total stranger, whom I barely know, and who will be out of my reach and control in barely three months?"_ He shook his head. _"Sister Mine, I'd erase her mind first."_

Rose blinked, and then smiled. _"It's a good thing you have Melissa and I then, because she's going to be a good ally for us."_

James nodded and turned back to the waiting headmistress. "Yes, we have more links. Allow me to introduce you to Manticore." James told her about Manticore, both the cover story and their true purpose.

When he was done, Headmistress L'Amour looked at James thoughtfully. She had an idea about why she'd been told about this, but she wanted to hear it from James. "What do you want from Beauxbatons and I?"

"Nothing, really." James said, looking at the ceiling. "I have to assume that all the schools are going to be targets in the opening days of the war. I know that Hogwarts and the North American School of Wizardry will be," James paused, and looked at Rose. They stared at each other for a minute, and James looked back at their guest again. "And now that Rose has met someone from Beauxbatons, we know that your school will be a target early on as well."

Headmistress L'Amour felt a chill. The thought of Dark Wizards attacking her school was bad enough, but they had defenses in place for that. Muggle armed Wizards though, were an entirely different matter. As far as she knew, no one had defenses for that sort of an occurrence. She listened to James.

"I want you to allow us to form a chapter of Manticore in Beauxbatons, and to allow a group of students to be trained to defend your school. How many people would be trained depends on how big your school is and other tactical considerations, but it will be at least a team of seven, preferably two teams."

The Headmistress thought about that. "What about the Manticores that are not actually training to defend the school?"

James grinned, and passed her a parchment. "The Fraternal Order of Manticore was created as a cover, but it actually works. If they follow the guidelines laid down here, you'll find that the scores of the students will improve."

James reached back without looking, and Rose placed a thick roll of parchment in his hand. "This details everything you need to know to start a chapter of Manticore, and how to contact us discreetly. Look it over, and if you have any questions or concerns, one of us will always be available to talk to you."

James looked at his watch. "Right now though, we are due on the Pitch, to help Hufflepuff train." Chimera said their goodbyes and left.

Headmistress L'Amour looked at the papers in her hands, and then up at Professor Dumbledore. "Obviously you believe that rather intense young man, Professor. Tell me something though. Will I still believe him in six months, after I'm away from his influence?"

Professor Dumbledore looked at the portraits on the wall. "If he is right, and you allow this, your school will be protected when the war begins, saving untold lives. If you don't do it, and he's right, what will happen?"

"And if he's wrong?"

Professor Dumbledore smiled. "If he's wrong, you will still have an educational society that improves the standings of its members and a group of well trained and intensely loyal people that understand Wizard and Muggle ways."

The two school heads chatted about other things for a few minutes, and then Headmistress L'Amour made her way back to the little house where the Beauxbatons people would be staying during their time at Hogwarts. She put the roll of material away to read tonight. Right now, she'd heard many remarkable things about Hogwarts from Oliver, and she wanted to see some of them.

Out on the Quidditch Pitch, Adam was going over the Hufflepuff plays, making suggestions and adaptations to them. Chimera was in the air, offering advice and tips to their counterparts. As they worked, James got a call over his ring. "Chimera one, this is Hydra one." He stopped, and had Colin join Rose and Cary.

"Hydra one, this is Chimera one, go ahead."

"A fourth year Slytherin of your acquaintance has informed me that Slytherin doesn't agree with letting Hufflepuff defend the School, and they're going to put together a team to take their place."

James smirked. Lisa had anticipated this, and Chimera was ready. "Hydra one, tell the new Slytherin team that Professor Dumbledore has stated that any team wishing to replace Hufflepuff must first beat them in a match. They also have to issue their challenge by Friday."

James could almost hear Sonya's smile. "Roger that, Chimera one. Would you like me to spread the word?"

"If you would, please. Have fun with it. Chimera one out." James signaled a rally to the others, and the two teams landed by Adam, who was still writing plays and suggestions. When everyone was gathered around, James looked at the Hufflepuffs. "The teams that declined to play, did so in the honest belief that you were good enough to win. Some of the Slytherins disagree with us though, and are going to try and challenge your right to play."

The Hufflepuff Captain, Mandy Mayfair muttered something under her breath and then looked at James with a glare. "They can't do this. I won't let them." Murmurs of agreements came from the other players.

Lisa grinned at them. "I'm so glad you feel that way, since I've already made plans for this event." Lisa explained the Headmaster's rules.

James looked around. "I think I'm going to try and shift the odds in your favor. Right now, I'm going to leave Adam, Emma and Hangeld here with you." James turned and looked at the rest of Chimera. "Rose, you and Melissa go talk to the Ravenclaws, and see if they are going to challenge Hufflepuff. Lisa, if you and Tiffany would do the same in Gryffindor, I would appreciate it." He looked at the four he was sending off. "If you can convince them not to issue any challenges, that would be great, but if they insist, we'll deal with that later." James looked at the Hufflepuffs and grinned. "Probably by letting y'all whup the stuffings out of them."

James turned back to Chimera as Cary explained that 'whup the stuffings' was one of those Americanisms, and it meant to defeat the opponent.

James stared over the Pitch for a minute. _"Rose, when you're done with that, I'd like to know what you and Melissa think about our visitors. Lisa, if you would get with Jerrick, I'd like a background report on our visitors as soon as possible, please."_

_"I believe you might have forgotten to mention your desire to branch out to the rest of Manticore,"_ Lisa said slyly, watching James.

James sighed, and his eyes went absent as he thought. _"We're not really branching out. I don't have the people to protect everyplace that is going to need protection, so I want to train some of those places to defend themselves."_ James looked at Rose, and they stood locked in silent communication for several minutes. James finally shook his head and frowned as he turned back to Lisa. _"Ever since Rose told me that both Hogwarts and the North American School of Wizardry were going to be targets early in the war, I've been wondering about the other schools. Now that Rose has met the Beauxbatons people, we can add Beauxbatons to the list of early targets."_

James' face went still, and his eyes were cold as he tried to think like the enemy, attempting to put himself in the Patient Child's mind, and figure out what or why the enemy would do something. _"All I can think of is that hitting the schools would show that even the Wizard world's strongest places are not safe, while removing a large number of Wizards and Witches that might oppose him if the war goes very long as well as the trainers for anybody he leaves alive."_ James shook his head, and bit his lip thinking. _"If he leaves anyone at all alive."_

James shook off the depression trying to overwhelm him and looked around as he mounted his Broomstick. _"Right now, I think you all have things to do. Why aren't you doing them?"_

Emma looked at James curiously. _"What are you going to be doing while the rest of us are working?"_

James grinned at her. _"Work, Emma, work. Unless you want to go over all of the day's information coming out of the Giant lands?"_

Emma thought about the reports Jerrick was always assembling and shook her head. Rose grinned at James and said, _"that's ok, most of that stuff is just boring to everybody but you, and we trust you to pass along anything we need to know."_

James smiled at Rose and ruffled her hair. _"Maybe so,"_ he said, _"but somebody has to do it, and since I love you, I try to keep you from getting bored."_

Rose smiled back. _"You love me, do you? Then you won't mind sharing a few Snickers, right? I've run out."_

James stared at Rose and sighed dramatically. _"You blackmailer, using my feelings for you to extort candy from me."_ He reached into his robes and pulled out two of the Snickers bars the twins were addicted to. _"See me later for more, this is all I have with me right now."_

Rose took them and smiled at James, hugging him while saying something in Lakota that made him blush and hug her back. Tiffany was smiling at both of them, and Chimera was letting them have their minute until James pulled away. _"What are y'all doing standing around? I thought you had places to go and things to do."_ He started to lift off and paused, hovering about three meters off the ground. "Jeez, Adam," he said aloud, "put some clothes on, will you?"

Adam started to say he was wearing clothes, but even as he opened his mouth, his robes faded away, and he was standing there in the Tartan boxers that had so embarrassed Tiffany in their first year. James grinned and looked at Lisa. "You got my lady, now I've gotten your man. Are we even?"

Lisa was admiring Adam's muscles even as she tried to find the disk that had to be on Adam's robes somewhere. The robes were still there, and she was running her hands over the robes, feeling for the disk. She didn't think about what she was doing, or how it looked until she heard the laughter coming from most of the Hufflepuff team and Chimera. _"I'm sorry about that, Adam, I never thought he'd target you." _She finally found the disk and pulled it off his robes, only to see her robes start to disappear. She tossed the disk into the grass and looked at Adam, who was blushing.

"Lisa, your man is quite… muscular. Are all the men in Manticore like that? And if so, are any of them not taken?" Mandy broke out giggling as she waited for Lisa's response.

Adam turned an even darker shade of red. _"Please tell me that Hufflepuff didn't see that."_

Melissa's mental tone was almost smirking._ "OK, they didn't see that. The amusement, speculation and lust coming from them must be for your plays."_

Lisa's head whipped around. _"Who's lusting over Adam?"_

Melissa and Rose broke out laughing as they started to walk away. _"Oh I'm sorry, you were standing too close. The lust is yours."_

Lisa turned bright red and Adam showed wisdom far beyond his years and didn't even smile as Lisa hurried away.

Wednesday, James was called to the front of the school just after classes were over. When he got there he stopped, staring at the magical creature standing there. Jerrick grinned at him. "I know you like animals, and I thought you might want to see this one."

James didn't answer as he stared at the Pegasus standing there. It was a beautiful animal, with the delicate features of an Arabian and a rich sorrel coat. The wings were truly impressive, stretching just over nine meters wingtip to wingtip. The wings were white, with an opalescent sheen that made them gleam in the sun. James reached with the totem skills and was entranced.

The man that had been riding the Pegasus was offloading two boxes, and finished as Professor Dumbledore arrived. He looked up and spoke. "Buenas noches Señor. ¿Usted es el líder de esta escuela?"

Professor Dumbledore agreed that he was indeed the Headmaster of the school. The man nodded and handed him a slip of paper. "Si usted firmaría aquí, yo le puedo dar su entrega." Professor Dumbledore signed and looked at the two boxes.

The man mounted the Pegasus and spoke to Professor Dumbledore again. "Señor, si usted necesita aún algo grande entregado, la llamada en el servicio de entrega a domicilio Brillante de Alas. Buenas noches Señor, y tiene un día bueno." He started to go, until he noticed James who was nose-to-nose with the Pegasus and totally oblivious to anything but the animal standing in front of him. "Perdone, el niño, usted tiene que mover. He obtenido un trabajo para hacer."

Jerrick moved up and took James by the arm. "James, they have to go." James frowned, but stepped back. The man turned the Pegasus and they started off. In a few steps the winged horse was at a gallop and then the wings snapped out and it was aloft, a picture of beauty and grace. James took a step after it, his mind still with the animal.

Professor Dumbledore was looking at the boxes, and the note that had come with them. He looked at James. "Do you know anything about this, Mr. Evans?"

James was still with the Pegasus. "It's a Pegasus, a very rare magical beast long thought to be extinct until a small colony of them was found living deep in the Brazilian rain forest. Estimated to be among the smartest of the non-sentient magical beasts, it is highly valued for its ability to fly long distances without tiring, and its ability to take off and land on almost any terrain. They are also the fastest of all the flying magical beasts."

"That's nice to know," the professor said dryly, "but I was talking about the delivery, not the method of delivery."

James blinked as he lost sight of the Pegasus, and turned to look at Professor Dumbledore. He cocked his head at the boxes, noting that one of them was very similar in shape to the ones that the Starblades had come in. "I don't think so, are they for Manticore?"

Professor Dumbledore looked again at the note that had come with the boxes. "These gifts are for the first Hogwarts team, in the hopes that the Hufflepuff team can start a new tradition of victory for themselves."

James listened and grinned. "Not my doing, Professor. If I had done it, they would have Starblades, just like everyone else, provided that second box is what I think it is."

"Professor Dumbledore," came a quiet voice at his side, "I think that if you were to check carefully, you might find that one May-ling Lee, a student in Hufflepuff some time ago bought those things for her former House."

Professor Dumbledore looked at May-ling and her soft smile. "And, if I were to check, would her paperwork be perfect as well?"

May-ling smiled wider, reminded of how Jerrick had figured out there was something strange about May-ling. "I think you might find it to be very good, yes."

"I see," he said as he looked around. "Does anyone know where they Hufflepuff team is right now?"

Jerrick knew, which surprised nobody who knew him. "They're in Manticore hall right now, going over things with Adam."

Professor Dumbledore started inside and the boxes followed him, as did everybody else that had witnessed the delivery. In Manticore Hall, Professor Dumbledore stopped, surprised at the changes since he had been here last.

All of the tables were pushed up close to the front of the room, and the rest of the room was taken up with bookshelves that stretched from floor to ceiling, with barely room to walk between them. Professor Dumbledore turned to James. "How long is it going to be before you have more books than the school library?"

James grinned. "We're not, but only because we're running out of room." He looked at the ceiling. "Unless of course we can take over those three rooms down the hall, and use them for books I don't want everybody knowing we have." He frowned. "That is becoming a problem anyway. Between the visitors in here, and some people who want to be Manticores, it's getting hard to hide the doorway to the lab."

Professor Dumbledore looked at James. "People that want to be Manticores?"

James nodded, rubbing his eyes. "Someone found our Charter, and there are a couple of dozen people that can be Manticores under it, but that Rose and or Melissa turned down as not good for us for one reason or another."

The Headmaster thought about that. "Allow me to give these gifts to the Hufflepuff team, and think about your problem. We will discuss it."

The Hufflepuff team was at Chimera's table, listening to Adam explain a play. "Mr. Brooks, may I have a minute of your audience's time?"

Adam looked up, taking in the Professor the boxes and the crowd behind him. "By all means, Professor."

Professor Dumbledore moved to the comfortable chair reserved for him during his rare visits to the hall. "An alumni of Hufflepuff has sent some things to help the Hufflepuffs achieve victory. They have been given to the first Hogwarts team, which is you right now. Should Slytherin win their challenge, that may change, so take care of them." Professor Dumbledore looked around. "Mr. Hagrid, would you open the boxes, please."

"Aye," rumbled Hangeld. He reached down and took the corner of the lid in one hand and stepped on the box with one foot. He pulled, and the lid came up, accompanied by the sound of screeching nails. He set that one aside and did the same to the other box.

When both of them were open, Adam moved up and pulled out a sack from the first box. He read the tag on the bag. "This is for the seeker." In short order all of the player were admiring a new uniform in Hogwarts colors, complete with all the supplies needed to maintain the various bits for each position.

Adam moved to the second box and took out the top item. It was a Broomstick, and whispers ran through the crowd as they tried to figure out what kind of a Broomstick it was. It was wrapped in black velvet, and Adam smirked as he handed it to a player. Soon, all seven of them had a velvet wrapped Broomstick, and Mandy looked at Cary.

"You open yours first, Cary." Mandy was a Hufflepuff, but she was also fairly smart. She had noticed over the last couple of years that Manticore had everything they wanted, and this largess coming so soon after a Manticore joined her team made her think that Manticore was behind it. If they were going to support one of their own like this, the least she could do is let Cary be the first to see the new Broomstick.

Cary took a deep breath and pulled the drawstring from his Broomstick. The velvet fell away and somebody gasped. "It's a Firebolt Inferno. The first broom with a two wood handle."

Lying before Cary was a vision in red and black. The handle was made of two different woods, fused together with magic. The Firebolt Company had combined Redwood with Black Oak, creating a Broomstick with the flexibility of the Redwood, but the strength and durability of Oak. Individually trimmed and shaped twigs of Hazel and Yew finished each Broomstick, and soon all the Hufflepuffs were admiring identical Broomsticks.

Adam looked at the giddy team and sighed. "I know that talking about plays can't compete with those, but we do have the Pitch in twenty minutes. Can we at least go try those things out?"

Mandy grinned, grabbing her bag and Broomstick. "You heard him, team, we fly in twenty minutes. Last one in the air is a Slytherin."

Sonya Gebbs looked at Mandy. "Hey, I resemble that remark." None of the Hufflepuffs heard her, as they disappeared out the door nearly as fast as if they'd flown.

James stood behind May-ling. "If you happen to talk to May-ling Lee, please tell her she can call on me for a favor anytime."

May-ling sighed. "There is only one favor she wants, and that may be beyond anyone's doing."

James looked at May-ling sadly, and was about to say something when he froze. Across the Hall, Tiffany's head came up, and the two of them locked eyes for a minute. "May-ling, come with me." May-ling jerked, and was right on James's heels. He didn't often give orders like that.

James, May-ling, and the rest of Chimera were soon in an unused classroom, and Emily and April joined them very soon thereafter. They were still there at dinner, and at bedtime. Professor Dumbledore sat up late into the night, waiting for them to come out, but he went to bed unsatisfied.

The next morning he was on his way to breakfast when he got a call on his ring. "Hogwarts one, this is Chimera one."

"Chimera one, go ahead."

"Hogwarts one, I am asking if you would release Chimera, May-ling and Emily from classes today."

Professor Dumbledore frowned. "Why should I do that Mr. Evans? You have missed enough days as it is." The next thing James said surprised Professor Dumbledore in a way he didn't think he could be surprised anymore.

"We need the time to break May-ling's curse."


	30. The End of Innocence

**Chapter 30**

**Siblings**

Professor Dumbledore watched Chimera working with interest. This was the first time he'd seen them working together and the change in them was remarkable. Hangeld and Emma were brewing a potion from a formula James had gotten from April, while Adam was practicing a spell under Lisa's exacting eye. Melissa was examining May-ling with her Healing talent and Tiffany was concentrating, bringing her Pyromancy up, ready to use. The green flames flickering in her eyes were definitely unusual, at least for anyone else. Emily was in a corner, recording the entire proceeding and James and Rose were drawing designs and symbols on a sheet of paper and arguing silently over them.

James stopped and absently took three of the Snickers bars from under his robes. He tossed one at Tiffany without even looking in her direction and handed one to Rose. He opened his, and was about to take a bite when he took exception to something Rose drew. Leaving the candy bar hanging from his mouth like a giant cigar, he took the quill from Rose and drew a variation. He set the quill down, and the twins locked eyes for a minute. They finished their argument, apparently in James's favor since his drawing stayed, and kept going.

Professor Dumbledore turned as the only person that was not working on breaking May-ling's curse came up. April Erskine was an elderly Witch who specialized in links and bonds, like the Twinlink and the Soulbond. She'd been working with Manticore since Melissa admitted she didn't know enough yet, and had owled her family for help. "Absolutely fascinating, Professor. They're drawing on the link again, using facets of each other to enhance their own skills and talents, and they don't even know it."

Professor Dumbledore nodded, watching the silently working group with a quiet intensity. "What are they going to do?" He wasn't sure what they had in mind yet, but he was sure that in order to break a curse two thousand years old, it would be powerful.

April consulted the notes she'd taken during the night. "May-ling's curse is tied to May-ling through her mother, and will only stop when she achieves a particular goal, in her case, saving a set number of lives. Breaking the curse is going to require several steps. First, James is going to use the Manticore Clan leader powers to formally disown May-ling's mother. We think that might put enough of a strain on the curse that Tiffany can use her Pyromancy to weaken it. Melissa will be watching the curse with her talent, and when it's weakened enough, Adam is going to cast the strongest curse breaker spell they could find, and hold it until Melissa says stop or the curse is gone."

Professor Dumbledore thought about the plan, until he had a thought. "Wait, James hasn't accepted the Clan leader powers yet."

April looked at the Headmaster. "Yes, he has. He did it last night. He said that his fears about power would not stand in the way of helping a friend."

James and Rose finished their discussion and Rose started drawing diagrams on the floor. James came over to the Professor and April. "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you if you would participate. In order to do a full Outcasting, I need a blood relative, the Clan leader, and a Clan elder." James grinned sheepishly. "Manticore doesn't have many people that qualify as elders, and you are the best choice."

Professor Dumbledore smiled faintly. "What will I need to do?"

James pointed at Rose. "Since I am going to be calling on some of the Spirits for assistance, Rose is drawing wards, designed to keep out any spirits that we don't want interfering. Inside those circles, several of us are going to have places to stand. All you have to do is stand in your place and answer all questions addressed to the Wise One." James looked at the Headmaster. "Do you need May-ling to remind you about what her mother did?"

Professor Dumbledore flashed back, hearing May-ling describe her mother's massacre of several hundred people in a single night. "No, Mr. Evans, I remember the story well enough."

He looked at James, casting the aura-reading spell with the ease of long practice. He frowned as he read James's aura. Yes, the clan leader powers were there, and sharp, bursting with more power than any one person could hold, kept in check only by the shunts and blocks James had set up. A second's thought, and James would have access to more power than forty Adams would. He wouldn't live more than a few seconds after trying to use that power, but Professor Dumbledore didn't even try to fool himself that James wouldn't use those powers under the right circumstances.

Rose finished drawing the circles on the floor, and James started preparing himself to lead the circle. Emma came over with the potion and gave it to May-ling. Professor Dumbledore turned to ask April what the potion was, but she'd anticipated his question. "May-ling has to be conscious to help Outcast her mother, but there is going to be some pain involved for her. The potion should deaden the pain to a tolerable level."

Professor Dumbledore frowned, alerted by something in April's voice. "How much pain is Miss. Sun-Tzu going to experience?"

April sighed heavily. "That's why Melissa is going to be monitoring the whole thing, and can stop the ritual at any time. The curse is tied to May-ling's soul, and something like this has never been tried. If the pain is going to cause injury to May-ling, Melissa is supposed to stop, no matter how close they are to finishing the ritual."

James finished checking the diagrams Rose had drawn and smiled at her. "Your normal perfection. Thank you." He looked around. "You all know what you're going to do. May-ling, Melissa, would you take your places, please?"

May-ling stood in the center of the smallest circle with Melissa. The second circle was in case of a power overflow. It would contain any spillage from the first circle. James directed Rose and Professor Dumbledore to share the third circle with him. Adam was in the next circle with a thin channel from him to May-ling. The fourth and last circle had a place at each of the cardinal compass points for Emma, Hangeld, Lisa, and Tiffany to stand. They would face out, warding the people inside the circles against magical intrusions.

When everyone was in place, James began closing the circles with magic, starting with the smallest and working his way out. When he was done with that, he looked around. "This is your last chance to back out." Nobody moved, and he smiled.

"We are gathered here to call the Outcasting on Mu-lei Sun-Tzu." With the formal words of the invocation, the circles began glowing softly, a light blue that would grow deeper as the ritual proceeded. James looked at May-ling. "You who are bound by blood and grievous hurt to this person; do you agree to the Outcasting?"

"The tie of blood is ended." May-ling was impassive, but two thousand years of living under this curse had left bitterness plain in her voice.

James looked at Professor Dumbledore. "Wise one, is the crime sufficient to warrant this Outcasting?"

Professor Dumbledore nodded slowly. "The person's crime is too great for redemption."

James looked back at May-ling. "As leader of this Clan, I find that this person's actions are such that no atonement is possible. I reject this person." The circles were glowing a deep blue by now, casting strange shadows across the room, and adding an eerie touch to the Outcasting. James spoke the formal final words.

"Mu-lei Sun-Tzu is not of our Clan."

The blue glow grew bright for a second, and May-ling stiffened and bit her lip. As the glow faded away entirely, Melissa was already using her talent to examine May-ling. "It was not enough. There is still nothing we can do to the curse yet."

James nodded. They had anticipated this problem last night, and James had another trick to try. He spoke in Lakota, calling on a spirit o assist him. Then he looked at May-ling. "Mu-lei's blood is now purged, in place, my own merged. As sister May-ling will be to me, her honor and mine one to be."

May-ling's circle shimmered and began glowing a rich amber color, hiding May-ling from everyone not in the circle with her. A voice spoke to her, deep in the silence of her mind. The voice was serious and somber, rich with overtones May-ling didn't understand. "Your Clan leader wished to be thy brother in Blood and Love. Do you accept this offer?"

May-ling took a second to think about that and then spoke a single word. "Yes."

"Very well," said the voice, and there were shocked looks around the circles, because four people heard it now. "Just remember that you asked for it." With that last sentence, and its touch of malicious humour, the voice and the amber glow were gone.

For just a second, nothing happened, and then James, Rose and May-ling all began glowing that amber color, the light grew, shading into white and becoming so bright that everyone else had to cover their eyes. Abruptly, the white light was gone. Before the three of them could do or say anything, Melissa was talking.

Melissa was looking at May-ling again. "That's done it. The frame of the curse is fraying away." She highlighted the curse, and in several places, the curse was unraveling. James frowned though, as he watched the fraying curse because it was knitting itself back together almost as fast as it was coming apart. It still wasn't enough. He'd been hoping to avoid this step, as it was almost certain to be painful for May-ling. "Tiffany, you're up. Take your instructions from Melissa."

Melissa had one hand just above May-ling's skin as she concentrated on her physical condition. "Start slowly, and be ready to stop if I say so." Tiffany pushed a trickle of the Pyromancy out, aiming at one of the unraveling spots in the curse. Mal-ling hissed as the green fire touched the curse and then was silent. Tiffany waited a second and began filling the area with the fire.

May-ling ground her teeth and looked at Melissa. Melissa was biting her lip, and May-ling put every hope she had of breaking the curse in a silent plea not to stop the ritual. This bit of pain was nothing compared to some of the things she'd endured over the centuries, and she would accept far more to be free. She stared at Melissa, begging with her eyes.

Tiffany was unaware of the byplay as she filled the hole and started pushing toward another. James and Rose frowned, looking at each other as they caught an echo of May-ling's pain. _"It must be because we're leading the ritual, because Tiffany feels it also." _James said, and Rose nodded.

"_We really should try some of these spells out before we use them on other people," _agreed Rose, and they went back to concentrating on the ceremony.

May-ling had her eyes closed, as the pain grew, sweeping through her system. Melissa started to say something, and then thought about May-ling's plea. She bit her lip, and touched May-ling with the Healing talent, trying to take some of the pain from her.

Tiffany continued filling the curse with her green fire, until she'd connected all the holes. May-ling had her eyes screwed shut and was biting her tongue to keep from making noise as the pain grew. Only centuries of enduring the things she couldn't stop kept her from crying out. Melissa was monitoring her, watching as the green fire filled the curse. "Now, Adam," she said, as the Pyromancy touched all the broken areas of the curse.

Adam raised his wand and waved it through the slash and circle that was the motion of this spell, saying "_Exsisto Pessum Ire_." A white beam flashed out of Adam's wand and struck the Pyromancy filled curse.

May-ling screamed as her body filled with pain, and James, Rose and Tiffany nearly joined her when the echo of pain became real pain. The white light fought with the dull brown of the curse as the green of Tiffany's Pyromancy swept into any space open to it. The swirling mass of colour lasted barely three seconds, and then it was gone in a blinding flash. The wards around the first circle gave out under so much magic, and the blinding light expanded to fill the second circle.

For an instant, everyone in the room had to close their eyes, and when they opened them, May-ling and Melissa were lying on the ground, and neither of them was moving.

James and Rose were taking the circles down as fast as they dared, working from the outside in, and by the time they got to Melissa and May-ling, they still hadn't moved. Chimera could feel Melissa in the link of course, but she didn't answer anyone.

Rose was the first to reach Melissa, and she cradled her head in her lap as she sent Emma for the first aid kit. James reached down and touched her on the shoulder. "Relax, flower child. I'm prepared for something happening." James made a call on his ring. "Phoenix one, bring two medics in."

He had barely finished speaking when Mercy and two of the Phoenix medics were entering the room. Mercy took a quick look and directed them to start working on Melissa and May-ling. She looked at James. "Did it work?"

James was watching as they worked on the two girls, worry plain in his face. "I don't know. I hope so, because I'm not putting May-ling through that again."

Melissa was the first to respond to the treatment, and she sat up, looking over at May-ling. "How is she?"

She stiffened suddenly, and started to smile. She turned and looked at Rose. "Do you remember how we first figured out there was something different about May-ling?"

Rose blinked at the questioned. "Of course, we couldn't touch her with our," her voice trailed away.

"I can see her in the Paths," she said.

Chimera shared a sudden exultation, and turned as May-ling stirred. James bent over, looking at May-ling, thinking something looked wrong, but he was too interested in what he had to say.

"Happy Birthday, May-ling. You've only been aging about five minutes or so, but I think you were eleven long enough."

James watched May-ling with a smile, although something kept nagging at him. May-ling blinked, and went pale as she absorbed what he meant. She looked at Melissa for confirmation, and then did the last thing James would have ever guessed. May-ling burst into tears.

James stared at Tiffany. _"Did I say something wrong?"_ he asked in confusion.

Tiffany was wiping her eyes as well, and so was Emma and Rose. _"No, you said the perfect thing. It's a girl thing."_

James rolled his eyes. _"I get any closer to being a girl, I'm going to start bleeding every month."_

Tiffany put an arm around him as she watched Melissa and Rose hold May-ling. _"Not really," _she disagreed. _"I'm not really a girl anymore than you are strictly a boy because of the Soulbond."_

James thought about that for a minute. _"We're never going to truly understand other people, are we?"_

Tiffany hugged him a little closer. _"No, but it doesn't matter, we have Rose and Melissa to explain anything we need to know."_

Before they could continue their conversation, May-ling stood up and crossed to James. Falling back into the formal ways of her childhood, May-ling bowed to James. "This was your doing, and I am in your debt." She held the bow as she waited for James' response.

James crossed to her, raising her head with his hand and staring into her green eyes. He froze, staring at those eyes, just like the ones he saw in the mirror every morning and a pit grew in his stomach. _"Rose, what colour are May-ling's eyes?"_

He sent that question over the Twinbond, the link no one else could use, not even Tiffany, so it was all he could do not to scream as he got two answers back.

"My eyes are brown, why?"

She's got brown eyes, why?"

Rose blinked and paled as she heard May-ling in her head, in a place that had been only her and James until now.

May-ling realized what she'd just done, and stared at James. "What is going on?" she asked aloud, trying not to think about how she was beginning to feel the shock of the twins as they realized something big had changed.

James was going over what he'd done in the ritual and suddenly hissed. "I think I should have phrased the final vow a little differently. I asked to be your brother in Blood and Love."

Rose was following his thoughts, and she had one of her own, one that made her groan. She looked at James, and spoke slowly, as if he was a not too bright child. "James, you called on a spirit for help, didn't you?"

James looked at her. "Of course, I don't have nearly the power to sever Clan ties without help."

Rose nodded. "I thought so. Now, for the grand prize, which spirit did you call on?"

James blinked, frowning at Rose. "Coyote, of course, he's my favorite…" he trailed off as he finally realized what Rose had already figured out. "Oh shit."

May-ling was looking a bit wild as she faced James. "He's what, James? Somehow your description of this spirit is lacking."

James sighed. "Coyote is a lot like me. He's also known as the Prankster spirit. He took us literally when I asked to be your brother, and now you have the Evans eyes and our Twinbond."

May-ling thought about that for a minute. "You mean you asked the trickster god to help you break my curse?" She seemed to vibrate for a second, and then her hand lashed out in a perfect palm strike to James' solar plexus. While he tried to breathe, May-ling took half a step backwards and introduced her heel to James' cheek.

James looked up at the furious May-ling from the ground as Melissa tried to calm her. "Is that your temper, or mine?"

May-ling glared at him, only to be brought up short as Rose stood before her. James stood up, caught by the emotions Rose was feeling, and the three of them examined each other for several minutes.

Only Tiffany knew about the thoughts that made them all start smiling.

"I have a sister/Family/another sister."

Tiffany was the one with an irreverent thought this time. "James, what are your folks going to say about becoming parents again at their age?"

James and Rose were busy for the next hour or so, showing May-ling how to use the link she'd gotten so unexpectedly.

Professor Dumbledore stood off to the side, watching the three of them, forgotten by everyone he thought. At least until Emily asked him to step over to the side so she could ask him about his impressions of the ritual, and what it was like from his point of view.

The Headmaster had never been a part of one of Emily's research projects before, and he was mildly surprised to find out that Emily treated him just the same as she did anyone else that she wanted to interview.

By the time Emily was done with everyone and ready to go, it was nearly dinner, and the group went to the Great Hall, having missed four meals in the last two days. May-ling had the abstracted look of any new linked person, as she tried to talk to everyone.

"Give it up, Oldest little sister. You aren't on the right channel to speak to the rest of Chimera."

May-ling blinked as she thought about James's name for her. _"Why not? You made both links from the same spell, so I should be able to use either link."_

James looked at Rose, and they both looked at May-ling for a minute. _"Not really. Get with us later, and we'll explain the differences."_

May-ling frowned but held her peace as they entered the hall. She started toward the Ravenclaw table and turned back to James. _"James?"_

"_Yes?"_

May-ling grinned suddenly, her new eyes flashing brightly. _"Do you think anyone will notice?"_

After dinner, Professor Dumbledore called for James. In his office, James greeted Fawkes and sat down. He waited patiently as Professor Dumbledore sat down and chose a lemon drop.

The professor looked at James. "I have given a great deal of thought to our discussion about Manticore Hall, and those students that do qualify for Manticore, but that you can't use in the prophecy related matters. If you create another hidden area, and allow numerous others in there, sooner or later one of them is going to see you using the area, or is going to notice the missing area, as Emily is doing now."

James grinned as he thought about Emily Kitchen walking around all of Hogwarts with a tape measure trying to find the last two Founder's rooms. She hadn't figured out where they were yet, but she was determined to try. She had found Helga Hufflepuff's room, and now spent at least an hour every day wandering the halls, measuring and checking. He thought about it for a minute, trying to figure out what they were going to do about keeping Manticore's true purpose from the rest of the school. "What we really need," he said wistfully, "is a room or series of rooms that nobody knows about."

Professor Dumbledore looked at James lowered his voice. "I might have a way to help you with that. I would like for all eight of you to meet me in front of the Great Hall just after curfew."

James stared at the professor, and was about to ask what he wanted Manticore for when the Headmaster asked about the other Manticores. It wasn't until he was on his way back to Gryffindor tower that James realized his question had been rather neatly deflected.

Late that night, just before curfew, Chimera gathered in the Gryffindor common room. Prefect Logan Marchen, this year's seventh year Prefect was there studying for the OWLs. He looked up and grinned at them. "Off on a midnight raid are you? Do I dare hope it's an extravagant prank?"

Rose smiled at him. "Not this time, we've got an appointment with Professor Dumbledore." All of the Gryffindor Prefects knew about Manticore, as they were told when they became prefects. It was helpful to have the prefects covering for them while they were doing things most students shouldn't be doing.

"That's too bad," he said with a sigh. "I could use a bit of stress relief right now."

James and Tiffany looked at each other and smiled. They'd had an idea a while back, but it never seemed to be the right time for it. Tiffany grinned at the older boy. "Stress relief is it? Are you willing to lose a day of studying for your relief?"

Prefect Marchen blinked and thought about it. "Not a whole day, no. How about half a day?"

James nodded. "Done. Sometime this month. Right now, we have an appointment to keep."

Chimera went out and down to the Great Hall. Professor Dumbledore was already there, and he looked at each of them for the longest time without saying a word. When he did speak, he was uncommonly serious. "Come with me."

He led them toward a little used part of the tower, speaking as he walked. "Long ago, as you know, Hogwarts was required to train a certain number of Wizards in the ways of Magical Warfare. Doing so required a place to practice spells and charms designed to level castles and do enormous damage."

The Professor stopped by a small door. Adam thought about the castle layout. "This leads to a small courtyard, but nobody has ever been able to get the door open, and the courtyard can't be found from outside the castle."

Professor Dumbledore smiled. "You cannot open, because only the current headmaster of Hogwarts can open the door." He reached out and touched the door. A blue glow started at his touch, and expanded to cover the door. After a few seconds it faded away and he opened the door.

He led them into the courtyard and they all looked around. It was about fifty meters wide, and completely bare except for a small building in the center of the cobblestones. Professor Dumbledore led them to the front of the building.

"This was where we trained the War Wizards all those centuries ago. The building is larger than it looks." He pointed at the door. "Whoever enters that door first will be the Gatekeeper of the Tower, with final say about who enters and who does not."

James stared at the building while he thought about what the Headmaster had said. "What is the hitch, Professor? It sounds perfect, but somehow, I don't think it will be that easy."

Professor Dumbledore sighed. "The Gatekeeper must pass a test, of Integrity and Honor. Whoever walks through that door does so in the full knowledge that at the end of the test, they will be the protector of the tower, or they will be dead."

Chimera turned to stare at the door again, which was suddenly looking ominous. The headmaster continued to speak. "The Gatekeeper can allow anyone to enter, but those that they allow to enter have access to everything in the tower except the Archmage's floor. The Gatekeeper must give a different permission for that. They must be absolutely unbribeable, and incorruptible. To insure that weak people didn't try to become the Gatekeeper, the test was made deadly, and everyone knew it."

James sighed. "This tower would be great, but I won't risk any of my people for it." He looked at the building again, and started to turn away. "I won't ask anyone to risk their life here."

Lisa was staring at the Tower, ignoring what they people around her was saying. Here was something she could do for Manticore. "You don't have to ask. I volunteer." Before the rest of Chimera figured out what she meant to do, Lisa stepped up to the door and reached for the handle.

As she touched it, she disappeared, and the rest of Chimera dropped where they stood. Professor Dumbledore frowned. This was not good.

Professor Dumbledore bent to check on Hagrid, who was closest to him. He breathed a sigh of relief to find him unconscious. He began checking on the other Chimeras. He was just checking on Melissa when a motion flashed in the corner of his eye. He looked up to see May-ling shooting through the door on her Starblade.

May-ling pulled up and dropped next to Rose. "What happened? Are they OK? Should I call Mercy?"

Professor Dumbledore stood up. "I don't believe that will be necessary. I believe they will be fine when Lisa comes out of the Gatekeeper's test."

May-ling looked up from her place between James and Rose. "What is the Gatekeeper's test?"

"That is a long story," the Headmaster said, "and it goes like this." Professor Dumbledore told May-ling the story of the tower as they watched over Chimera.

"Professor, are you saying that Lisa could die in there?"

"That is possible, yes, but I do not think it is likely, or I would never have brought them here. I would not want one of the others to take the test, but Lisa is suited perfectly for this test."

May-ling nodded, thinking about it. "She is the Mental Wizard, with unmatched honor according to the prophecy."

Before Professor Dumbledore could answer her, the various people lying on the ground began stirring, and May-ling's attention was captured by James and Rose. "Are you OK?" she asked Rose, eliciting winces from all the Chimera that were moving.

Rose put one finger over May-ling's lips. _"We will be, if you don't say anything aloud. We have headaches the size of the moon."_

As the seven of them rested and Melissa began trying to soothe as much of their pain away as she could, the door to the little building opened and Lisa staggered out.

She fell to her knees and wept, her body wracked with shuddering sobs. Adam was the first one there and he wrapped his arms around her. She clung to him and looked up at him. She looked up and the anguish in her eyes struck like a blow. "I had to," she said, still lost in whatever had happened beyond the door, "I had to leave you all there."

Adam cradled her gently. "Shh," he murmured, "it's going to be fine." He looked at the Headmaster, and anger was plain in his face. "Did you know about this as well, Sir?"

Professor Dumbledore was watching Lisa. He heard the accusation in Adam's voice, but looking at Lisa who still wept and clung to Adam as if he was her only lifeline, Professor Dumbledore could understand that anger. "I did not. Remember, there has not been a Gatekeeper in centuries. All I knew of the test I told you." He looked at Lisa, still clinging to Adam. "If I had known anything else about the test, I would have warned you. I assume the applicants would be told about the test by the Archmage of the tower."

Lisa let go of Adam, and dried her eyes. She took a deep breath and looked around. "May-ling, what are you doing here?"

May-ling rolled her eyes. "Where would you expect me to be? I was peacefully sleeping, and having the strangest dream about James and Rose walking around, and then I am struck with more pain than I have ever felt." May-ling's eyes grew shadowed for a minute, but she pushed the memory away. "When I recover, I can't touch these two at all." She indicated James and Rose.

Lisa nodded, and turned to face the building. "I am the Gatekeeper, and I command you to open."

As Lisa finished speaking, the building began to glow a reddish-yellow, like hot coals. The building began to grow, expanding upward and outward as they watched it. Up it grew, until it was as tall as any other tower in Hogwarts, and out, until it nearly filled the courtyard. When it finally stopped, the tower was the same octagon shape, and forty meters across. Where the single door had been was a large metal double door. Above the door was a carved shelf, where four fierce gargoyles looked down at anyone approaching the door. Around the edge of the shelf, something was carved in Latin.

Lisa looked at it, and translated. "If peace you would have, be prepared then, for war."

James stepped closer to the door, looking at the shelf and gargoyles. As he came within three meters of the door, two of the gargoyles shifted and changed. They dropped down between James and the tower. James jumped back, and pulled his wand. The rest of Chimera spread out behind him, pulling their wands. "You may not enter here," hissed one of them, whose eyes glowed the same reddish-yellow the tower had.

James stooped, transfixed. "I need not pass. Tell me, are you truly living Gargoyles, or is this a spell, to make the stone live?"

The Gargoyles looked at him, and both of them had glowing eyes now. "Ask the Wizards that bound us here," said the one that had spoken before in a low, gravelly voice filled with bitterness. "Ask the ones that came and took us from our home these fifteen hundred years ago, binding us to keep all beings out of the Tower of War, saving only those marked by the Gatekeeper."

Chimera flinched at the anger in James. "Why were you bound?"

The Gargoyle looked at him. "The War Wizards needed guardians that didn't eat or sleep, who could not be bribed, and who would live forever. They came, those long years ago, and took us from the rocky cliffs that we called home. We were easy targets then, being a new family group, and less than sixty years old. We were brought to the original location of the Tower, bound to it, and that is how matters have stood for a millennium and a half."

"I see," James said quietly, and turned to Lisa. "Lisa, would you be kind enough to do whatever it is that you have to do, to allow me entry?"

"Yes, if you will stand still for a minute, and let me touch that link you have with all the Manticores."

James looked at her sharply. "How did you know about that?"

Professor Dumbledore was standing quietly off to the side. He had long ago learned that merely standing still and listening was a good way to be ignored or forgotten, and that you could learn the most interesting things that way. This link, he was sure, was one of those things.

Lisa sighed, and rubbed her eyes. "James," she said in the voice adults would use with not too bright children, "Emily and April have been investigating the links for nearly two years now. How long did you think you were going to keep it hidden?"

James sighed. "Longer than this, I was hoping. Who else knows about it?"

Adam answered for her. "Emily, April, all of us, and all of the team leaders, that I know of."

James dropped his head. "Wonderful. It was supposed to be a secret."

May-ling had been following the conversation. "If you are talking about that link that connects you with a dying Manticore, everyone knows about it. We just haven't said anything because you seemed to want to keep it quiet."

All of Chimera turned to look at May-ling. She shrugged, and then smiled faintly. "Emily found it, and it's something new on a project of hers."

Melissa, who worked with Emily quite often, was the first to figure out what May-ling meant. "She documented it in her notes, didn't she? And since we never told her that the Manticores couldn't read her notes," Melissa let her voice trail off, allowing the others to think about it.

James sighed, and shook his head. "There are times I could strangle that girl. Since everyone knows about the link."

"Not everyone, Mr. Evans, and would you mind filling me in on this link?" Professor Dumbledore was certain that when he joined Manticore, nothing had been said about a link to a dying Manticore, and he did not like the sound of it.

Chimera jumped, and turned to look at the Headmaster, having forgotten that he was there. James looked at him, and groaned. "This is not my night," he said quietly. "Sir, it is a long story, and since I doubt you are going to like it anymore than Tiffany or Rose did, I'd rather finish this thing we are doing now." James had a vague hope that by the time they were done, the Professor would have forgotten about it.

Professor Dumbledore hesitated, and then nodded. "I think we will be having a long talk, Mr. Evans. I know you won't lie to me, but apparently, I have not been asking the right questions either."

James winced, and turned back to Lisa. "Gatekeeper, if you would, please?"

Lisa took out her wand, and cast a variant of the aura-reading spell. James glowed, linchpin of dozens of links and oaths. To the other sight that medics used to look inside people, James was a mass of swirling color. He seemed to radiate spikes of colour, leading off in many directions. The pure white of the Soulbond, thicker than all the rest, closely followed by the Twinlink, running to Rose and May-ling, Green as spring grass and nearly as think as the Soulbond. Only slightly smaller was the burnished gold of Chimera's link. The Clan lines, and the Oaths that bound every Manticore, were thin, smaller than Lisa's little finger, but they seemed larger, with the sheer number of spikes running everywhere.

Lisa sorted them out patiently while the rest of Chimera watched. Here was the link she wanted, thin as a hair, and a disturbing dark red, like dried blood. Lisa isolated that one, and cast another spell, one none of the watchers could understand. As she did, James, the Tower and the Final Moments link all glowed that reddish-yellow for a minute, and then the effect faded.

As it faded away, the Gargoyles jumped back onto their perch. "You may pass."

James looked at them, even as they started to change. "Wait. I would know one thing before you go."

One of the Gargoyles had already faded back into the stone, but the one that had spoken earlier stopped, looking at James. "What is it? And hurry, for in the oblivion of stone I do not remember my slavery."

"How do I break that slavery?" James stared at the Gargoyle, "I do not agree with what was done to you, and I would free you to go on with your life."

The Gargoyle stared at James, and the monstrous face was too foreign for anyone there to read, but the reddish glint was back in the being's eyes. "If you are serious, climb to the top floor of the Tower. That is the Archmage's floor, and somewhere on it is his personal library. The ritual and the spells they used to bind us are there. A good mage should be able to undo those spells."

James nodded, even as the Gargoyle faded to grey stone. He studied the door as he raised the Manticore ring to call for help.

"Phoenix one, Phoenix two, this is Chimera one." He repeated the call until he got groggy responses from Mercy and Jerrick. "Good morning. I have a mission for Phoenix. We have new quarters, and I am activating the Sudden Departure."

Jerrick's voice was still sleep logged. "How do you expect us to depart Hogwarts?"

James grinned. "When you get your people to the Main Hall, May-ling will meet you and she can start explaining. Right now, you need to start waking Phoenix. I want every Prophecy specific thing out of the Hall and into the Tower by dawn."

James just grinned again and ignored Jerrick's startled "What tower?"

He looked at May-ling. _"Would you mind escorting Phoenix here? After you have a couple of them to guide the rest, go get dressed, it's going to be a long night."_

May-ling blinked, still not quite used to hearing voices in her head. _"At least, not voices that should be there,"_ said a whisper. She ignored the voice, as she had been doing for nearly twelve hundred years, and started toward the Main Hall.

James turned to Chimera. _"OK People, here's what we're going to do. Adam, you and Lisa will stay on the ground floor. The rest of us are going to break into teams, and search this place quickly. I want to know what's in here so we can find out where to put the things we're bringing in. Adam, you and Lisa will control Phoenix until we're done. Make them stack the stuff don here, and in the meantime, I want a rough map of the tower. Each team will tell you what they are finding, and you can draw it out." _James looked around. _"Any questions?"_

Rose sighed, and held out a hand. _"We have a deal, Brother Mine. I want my overtime pay."_

James stared at her. _"That doesn't apply to the prophecy mission, only to personal stuff."_

Rose shook her head. _"Wrong. This doing it in the middle of the night, and in one night at that, is your personal paranoia speaking, and that means this is overtime."_

James rolled his eyes. _"Fine, you win,"_ he said, and pulled one of the candy bars they twins seemed to have an endless supply of from his robes. _"Here's one, I'll pay the rest after we're done."_

Rose smiled and turned to Melissa. _"Come on, we'll go to the right from the door."_

Melissa didn't move, staring at James. She held out her hand. _"I want overtime also."_

James did a double take. _"What?"_

"_You heard me,"_ said Melissa calmly, _"if Rose gets overtime, and I have to work just as hard with her, I want overtime."_

The other members of Chimera looked at each other, and as one, they all held out their hands. James stared at them with a wounded expression. None of them moved and finally James groaned. _"OK, OK, you'll all get it." _Nobody put his or her hand down, although everyone could feel the amusement with the link. James sighed and passed out a bar to everyone.

When everyone had one, they started inside, only to break out laughing at Rose's comment. _"Oh, James,"_ she said over the Chimera link, so everyone could hear her. _"May-ling says she'll want hers as well."_

James' expression was faintly martyred as he followed the other Chimeras into their new home. _"This is really not my night."_

Chimera went through the Tower quickly, just seeing what was in it rather than searching it. James just wanted to be sure that there wasn't anything harmful lying around before the Manticores came in. The first two floors were classrooms of various sizes, and the third floor was classrooms for more active studies. There was a fencing salle, two dueling rooms, and two more room that could be used for nearly anything.

The fourth floor was one large room, a meeting hall it appeared. Adam was still on the first floor, and he had a request. "Someone pace off the walls. I think this Tower is larger on the inside than on the outside, but I need a pace count."

Hangeld and Emma did so, as the other two teams continued up the stairs. The fifth and sixth floors were quarters, possibly for the Wizards that had taught here. The seventh and eighth floors were ritual rooms and magical labs, with heavily warded walls and thick doors. The ninth floor was a series of storerooms, filled with boxes and crates, and other things less easy to classify.

The tenth floor was a library, and James groaned as he saw it. _"Great. This time, y'all are going to take a turn making sure Emily eats once in a while."_ He went through the library quickly, and everyone knew that James was far more interested in the top floor.

"_James, I've got Phoenix here, are you ready for them?"_ May-ling's mental voice was loud, as if she thought she'd have to shout to be heard over long distances.

"_Yes, we are,"_ said Rose, as James started up the stairs to the next floor. _"Have them take the books to the tenth floor, and turn the first room on the fifth floor into the armory. Jerrick will know how to set the wards."_

Rose and James were discussing possibilities in their own private language over their link, and it came as quite the shock when May-ling interjected a comment. James stopped on the stairs, startled. _"Comprehend?"_ he asked May-ling.

"_Shouldn't I?"_ responded an equally startled May-ling.

James and Rose thought about it. No one else had ever understood what they were saying but then, no one else could touch the link they shared until now. They shrugged and continued with what they were doing. Emily and April would simply add this to the data they were amassing on the links and Manticore. _"May-ling, have Emily join us on the tenth floor, would you?"_

May-ling agreed and Chimera soon heard feet on the tower stairs. Emily came into the library and stopped. She looked around carefully and smiled. "I am so glad Jerrick and I decided to join Manticore. I get to see so many new books with you."

James was back from the eleventh floor, and he grinned at Emily. "I have a job for you. I need you to find a book, and one spell in that book."

Emily looked around, estimating the number of books in this room. "What's the name of the book?" she asked.

"I don't know."

Emily looked at James again. "Do you know what it's about, who it's by, what color it is, anything?"

James grinned, struggling not to laugh at the expression on Emily's face. "I know two things about it. You may have noticed four gargoyles above the door to the tower. They are alive, bound there in slavery, and I am going to free them. The book you want is going to have the ritual that bound them, and how to unbind them." He raised one hand. "I can say that the book is not in this library. It's above us."

Emily looked at James, finally noticing the smile curving his lips. "You knew what I was thinking," she accused him, a charge James didn't deny. She thought about it for a minute. "So I have to search an unknown number of books for a ritual binding that I won't know is right until I read it. Is that what you're saying, Yank?"

James nodded slowly. "Yes, I believe that covers it."

Emily closed her eyes. "Give me strength," she muttered under her breath, and then looked at James again. "You are aware that I have OWLs this year, are you not?"

James tilted his head and looked surprised. "What is this? Do I hear Emily saying a simple research job is beyond her?" He sighed, and turned toward Emma, winking at her. "Emma, would you get Harry, please? I'm sure he can do this."

Emily bristled, glaring at James. "Harry? My brother has no respect for any book more than a decade old, and doesn't know how to treat them."

James interrupted her. "Then you'll do it?"

"Of course I will, and I suppose you want it done by dawn."

James shrugged. "Actually, I don't know how long it is going to take yet. Follow me and we'll find out."

James led Chimera and Emily to the eleventh floor. This floor was a short hallway with five doors leading off the hall. Each door had a symbol on it, but that was all. James looked around at the others. "Does anyone recognize any of these?"

None of the Chimeras did, and James turned to Lisa. "I don't suppose being the Gatekeeper helps you out with this, does it?" Lisa shook her head. "Wonderful," said James, but before he could say anything else, Emily spoke.

"James," she said, staring at one door, "do you mind if I get started in the library?"

James stared at her. "You can read these symbols?"

Emily shook her head. "I can only read that one, on that door. It's an older regional variant of old high Latin."

James rubbed his eyes. "How is it," he asked, "that you know that one symbol there, but none of the others?"

Emily was already moving toward the door she had indicated. "I know the word, sign, or symbol for library, book, and scroll in every language I could look up. That does not mean I can read all those languages." She opened the door and went inside, leaving Chimera staring bemusedly after her.

James shook his head. "I'm going to remind you all of this, the next time you accuse me of having a one track mind." He turned to the next door and opened it. The room beyond the door was an office, with a private bathroom and a small owlery attached to it. Emma suggested that they give this room to Jerrick, since he spent so much time reading the things owls brought him, and James agreed.

The next room was a bedroom, and since it had a connecting door to the office, James decided to make it into an office for Chimera. They went back into the hall where Hangeld reached for the last door. Before he could open it, a ghost came through the door. In life, he had been a short man with very little hair, and he was smiling at them. "Thank Merlin. It's about time someone came. Who has assumed the mantle and responsibility of Archmage of the Tower of War?"

Chimera stared at the ghost, and Hangeld backed up. Rose stepped forward. "I'm sorry Sir," she said politely, "but no one has assumed the position. We are merely using the tower for an educational society."

The ghost looked at her for several minutes, and then looked at each of the Chimeras in turn. "Hogwash," he said finally, "to be polite. I was there when we hid the Towers from time, and I know what conditions where set on the Tower being reopened. And yet, you are but children, despite those two's apparent age, and your size." He indicated James, Tiffany, and Hangeld. "I think we have things to talk about. Shall we adjourn to the library, where we can sit?"

They went into the library, where Emily was already hard at work. She glanced up as they came in, and went back to her books. "James," she said absently, still reading whatever she had in her hand, "can I use this as my research center? There is some fascinating material here."

The ghost looked affronted. "Miss, this is the personal library of the Archmage of the Tower, not a research center for students."

Emily didn't even look up. "As far as I know, there has not been an Archmage in this tower for over a thousand years. James is the closest thing we have to an Archmage, and if he says I can use it, nobody else is going to say I cannot."

The ghost frowned at her, but Rose intervened. "Excuse me, but who are you? I thought I knew all the ghosts in Hogwarts by sight at least."

The ghost turned back to Chimera. "I am the Archmage of the Tower of War. When you assume the position of Archmage of one of the Towers, you erase your name and all ties with the rest of the world, so that you might better serve your tower." He looked at the group. "Which of you is James?"

"I am James Evans." James introduced the group, including Emily, who didn't even notice. "You mentioned some conditions, when you said that the tower was hidden from time. What did you mean by that?"

The ghost sighed. "That is a long story. Once there were twenty-five towers, each dedicated to a different facet of magic and learning. In the days after the end of the last Goblin war, it was decided that they were no longer needed, as Wizards began to spread out and disperse into smaller communities." He scratched his head. "The Archmages of all the towers met, and we were considering abandoning the towers altogether. Before we could agree on that, one of our Archmages, the leader of the Tower of Healing had a vision. He saw that one day, some of the Towers would be needed again. We listened to him, and decided to hide the towers from time, so that they would not be affected by the passage of time."

Lisa cocked her head sideways. "How did you do that? It takes an immense amount of power just to turn back time an hour or so, and you're talking about centuries."

The ghost smiled thinly. "Two things made the great spell possible. First, the Archmage of any Tower has a great deal of power to draw on, and second, we were not changing time. We shrank the towers to the size you found it in, and." He frowned. "I don't know how to say it. We turned the towers ninety degrees from everywhere."

There was a pause as the young people tried to imagine pushing something at right angles to every direction at once. The ghost watched, amused. "Don't bother trying to imagine it, I've been trying for years, and even now all it gets me is a headache." He looked toward Emily. "Anyway, we hid twenty-two of the Towers that way, leaving only three still operating. The Tower of Healing,"

Melissa choked and coughed. Chimera looked at her, and Lisa leaned forward. "Melissa, you wouldn't know where that tower is, would you?"

Melissa smiled, and turned toward the ghost. "Which other towers did you leave in use?"

The ghost shrugged and continued. "The Tower of Learning, whose members were very much like your friend over there, and the Tower of All."

Hangeld frowned. "Mother talked about a Tower once," he said softly, "a place where anyone could come and learn, no matter what their race. Centaurs studied with House Elves, and even those of giant blood were allowed to study anything they wanted."

The ghost nodded. "That was the idea of the Tower of All, that magic and its uses were there for anyone with the skill and the desire to learn. They were in France last I knew."

James looked up, remembering something the Gargoyle had said. "Pardon me," he said, "but you seem to be implying that the Towers can move."

The ghost looked up, surprised. "Of course they can. It's a simple spell, once you learn how to do it."

He looked around at the stunned faces around him. "Has the knowledge of transporting buildings been lost then? It was not common, but you used to see a Tower or other building flying in the sky often."

James sighed, and slumped back. "Oh, that spell. No, it has not been lost, merely banned because of Muggle planes and radar. I was hoping you had something different."

The ghost looked at him, confused. "What have Muggles to do with us? If they cause problems, just erase their memories, or kill them."

Chimera stared at the ghost, appalled. He had suggested killing the Muggles in the same tome one of them would use about a fly or other pest that was annoying you.

Melissa shook her head. "You just can't go around killing Muggles like that."

"Why not? It is not as if they don't breed like rabbits. One of the Archmages even suggested that one day, they would number in the billions." He snorted. "Such foolishness. Everyone knows that the planet can't support more than a few million people, maybe three or four hundred million at most, and even that many would take serious rules about the number of children you could have, how much you could eat, and a host of other rules."

Chimera looked at each other, wondering how to tell the ghost that Muggles numbered in the billions, and that his colleague had been right, when Emily took the matter out of their hands. "Actually," she said, still leaving through a book, "that's not quite true. With Muggle technology, they are supporting billions of people now."

The ghost stared at her, and then turned back to the group. "Is that true? Are there truly billions of people on the planet?"

James nodded. "Yes, there are. I am from America, and there are two hundred and forty million people in my country alone."

The ghost frowned. "I am not familiar with 'America'. Is that in Africa?"

James and Rose stared at the ghost while the rest of Chimera choked down laughter. Rose thought about it. "When did you seal the Tower?"

"In 1489, why?"

Rose nodded. "A few years later, a man named Christopher Columbus would find a new continent, while looking for a western route to India. It is called America."

The ghost blinked, thinking about that. He finally shook his head, saying, "We can discuss the history of the world later. I have a question now. Since you were able to open the Tower, that means that all the conditions of the spell have been met. Tell me, who is the enemy that will threaten two continents within ten years? The Goblins perhaps? They have been silent for many years. Or have the Valenits finally risen?"

James looked up at the last question as his paranoia stirred. "The who? I didn't recognize that last group."

The ghost looked at him. "The Valenits are a Clan, who believe they are the direct descendents of the first people to ever do magic. They also believe that they should rule all the Wizards because of that blood. They tried to take over in 941, and were only stopped after four years of brutal fighting. Some of them got away though, more than a hundred of them. They swore they would return one day, to rule what was rightfully theirs."

"_I wonder if the Patient Child is one of those people," _mused James thoughtfully,_ "it would fit the Patient bit very well." _

Rose looked at the ghost, and at James. _"Do we tell him about Manticore?"_

James thought about it for a minute, and told her, _"no, let's leave it at the educational story for now. Somehow, I don't trust him. He was glad, too glad to see somebody, anybody show up."_

Rose and Melissa stayed with the ghost to talk and use their talents on him, while the rest of Chimera left to help move the Prophecy related things into the Tower. By 0500 the next morning, everything was in the Tower, and all the Manticores were warned about the ghost.

James kept most of the Manticores away from the Archmage's floor for the next few days while they set up the Tower. Jerrick and William Moore interviewed the ghost, and came away from the interrogation with one very important fact: whoever accepted the mantle of the Archmage could not leave the tower, ever.

James grinned thinly when he heard that. "I knew he was too happy to see people." He warned everyone about the ghost, and started allowing everyone up there. The ghost tried to ask a few people if they were the new Archmage, but after James used the 'Polter-grip' prank on him, and threatened to leave him pinned to a wall for all eternity, the ghost stopped doing that.

Manticore hall was turned into a study hall, and ten days after the original Manticores moved into the Tower, James and Chimera began interviewing the people whose academic standings qualified them for Manticore, but who had not passed Rose and Melissa's tests. Some of them couldn't keep a secret, some were gentle people, and incapable of the violence that would be part of a Manticore's life, but whatever the reason, they had not been accepted for the Prophecy.

They were still good students though, and with the guidance of the theories being tested, they were about to become better. That almost all of Ravenclaw was eligible surprised no one, but that almost half of Hufflepuff was shocked many. Only about a quarter of the Gryffindors and Slytherins were eligible, a fact that had Professor Snape waxing sarcastic in his house one night. Professor McGonagall could point out that her house had a large number of Manticore in the first group, and that they were even with Hufflepuff in numbers.

One week before the end of the month, James set up a contest for Manticore. The rules were simple. Any Manticore, couple, team, or group could enter and they had to pull a prank that encompassed at least a third of the people in the school. The prank had to go off on Saturday, starting at noon, and all the effects of the pranks had to be gone by 0100 in the morning. The prank also had to be signed by the people taking credit for it.

James and Rose would judge the pranks based on originality, effort, and how funny it was. James and Rose were not eligible, nor was Chimera as a team, since James and Rose were judging the contest. They warned Professor Dumbledore, who was invited to join the fun, but the rest of the staff was left in the dark.

With his promise to the Prefect out of the way, James concentrated on setting up the new Tower. Armed with the rituals that had created the wards on the tower, which Emily had found in the Archmage's library, they removed the wards from the lowest four floors, allowing anyone to enter there.

The first floor was converted into lounging areas, with chairs and couches, and the fiction that had been collecting in Manticore's library. If anyone noticed that the areas had quite a few shadowy nooks, with large chairs, or just a single small couch, they didn't say anything.

The second floor was left alone for the most part, although each team picked a room for their own, a place they could decorate as they chose. The Manticores that were not in teams yet decorated a few of the rooms as well. James noted with a grin that the room claimed by Raven, Stephanie Spence and their friends acquired very good wards in the middle of the night, and made a note to keep an eye on that bunch. Dirk Clave had some common sense, but the rest of that group was among the more extreme Manticores.

The third floor had its wards strengthened, and was used for dueling practice and a new form of torture James brought in. The twenty-five machines he brought in from some bloody place were called "Bow-Flexes", but after James started requiring that every Manticore spend at least three sessions each week with them, many of the Manticores were convinced they were Muggle torture devices. Each session only had to be thirty minutes long, but James had gotten a list of exercises from Professor Evans, and that was, in the words of one of the younger Manticores, "Just bloody wrong."

The fourth floor was turned into the general meeting room, a new Manticore Hall. One side was Chimera's, complete with Rose's windowsill. (Professor Dumbledore had moved it for her, at Melissa's request, complete with her favorite cushions.)

All the teams had tables here, large enough for the team to plan on, and each Manticore had a chair of their own, marked with their personal symbol. James had followed through on a whimsical comment he'd made once, and had flags made for the teams. Those flags hung over each team's table and were a black field with the team's symbol in the center. The linked teams had three personal emblems to a side, while Phoenix had a row of personal symbols bordering the outside edge. Chimera's flag was the same as the linked team's, with four personal marks down each side.

At the front of the room, the Manticore flag hung over the podium. Behind the stand were maps of the world, both as Wizards knew it, and as the Muggles knew it. There were chalkboards and places to pin things for the briefings, along with all the other things the speaker would need.

There were also tables for the Manticores not in teams yet, and a new table, with the symbols of the Wolfpack trainers, as well as chairs for Professor Dumbledore and April Erskine.

The floors that had been quarters for the instructors were converted to a variety of uses, mostly rooms for the Muggle weapons and labs for experiments. Emma and Hangeld had their own private potions lab, and they threatened to use the person that had painted their door with glowing warnings signs in their next experiment, if they ever caught them.

Friday afternoon, James was sitting in Manticore Hall, working on the final changes for his prank. While he couldn't enter the contest, there was nothing to say that he couldn't have a bit of fun. He finished it and looked around the nearly empty room, idly wondering where everyone was. They were less than a dozen people on the fourth floor, and most of them were Chimeras.

He could feel Chimera and May-ling quite easily of course, and that brought to mind something that he'd noted during May-ling's classes in Tai chi. He entered the light meditation state that she had taught them. As he meditated, he could feel Chimera and May-ling strongly, like beacons in his mind. He knew where each of them were, and what they were doing. Under them, he could dimly feel another group, harder to reach. He relaxed, sinking deeper into the trance state, and he found himself opening to that group.

James was seeing only with his mind's eyes now, and he could feel very Manticore bound to him within the Clan, and with the Final Moments link. Blackness surrounded him, relieved on by the lights of the Manticores. Some of them were stronger, some were dimmer, but all of them pulsed with multi-hued lights.

"_It's very pretty, James, but it is dinner time, and I'm hungry."_ James considered the light in front of him, the touch of Tiffany's mind. Like all of the Manticores, her light was multiple colors. The pure white that was her essence, overlaid with dozens of colors. The Soulbond was a brilliant gold, and the links were the blue of a summer sky. The emerald green must be her Pyromancy, he decided, and the pale red that washed over the whole of her being was the love they shared.

He looked around at all the Manticores one more time, and began easing out of trance. _"You are as beautiful here as you are in the flesh,"_ he thought as he opened his eyes, _"and since I like your flesh, I can't let you starve, now can I?"_

Tiffany was sitting in his lap, and kissed him as he looked at her. _"No, you can't. Come on, the rest of them are waiting for us."_

The Beauxbatons Quidditch team was eating at the Gryffindor table again, as they ate with a different House each day, but Chimera hadn't paid them much attention. They had been too busy with school and the tower to worry about the visitors. They were surprised then, when Arthur Pendragon sat down across from James. James and Rose looked at him, and felt that tingling shock again. They looked at each other, and went back to eating.

Arthur Pendragon ate and studied the twins with a slight frown. Finally, when it became obvious that they would simply ignore him, he cleared his throat, and said, "Your Gryffindors have the best team in this school, supposedly. Why aren't you playing against us?" James flared at the demand, because that is what it was. Arthur's tone expressed his complete assurance that he would get an answer, and one that he liked.

James thought about what he wanted to say, and then let the flash of anger he'd felt at the aristocratic tone answer for him. "We're rather busy right now, and playing Quidditch is not in our current plans."

James continued eating, barely pausing to speak, and was aware of the quickly hidden anger in Arthur's face at his bored answer. Arthur stared steadily at him as he responded, "I think you are simply scared to beaten in front of your School."

Tiffany touched his leg under the table, stilling the automatic response James wanted to make. He allowed his anger to calm before he replied. "I think your parents forgot to teach you manners. Since when do guests insult their hosts, without cause?"

Arthur smiled suddenly, and nodded. He looked around, and lowered his voice. "That's why I don't know you, you're Americans. Which line of the Pendragon Clan are you from, anyway?"

James barely glanced at him. "We're not in the Pendragon Clan, here or America, or anywhere else."

Arthur raised an eyebrow, and then sighed. "I felt the recognition, and so did you. Don't try to lie about it."

James didn't even try to hide the anger he felt this time, as he stared at Arthur, but his voice remained low and conversational. "You call me a liar again, and I'll break your face and wand. We are not in any branch, line, or part of the Pendragon Clan."

Arthur had not flinched when James threatened him, but he was wary now. "Tell me you didn't feel the recognition," he challenged.

James sighed, and when he spoke again, he had the quiet tone that Chimera knew too well. "I am James Evans," he said, and his accent was plain to hear, "of the Evans Clan, and to the best of my knowledge, no member of my family is a member of your Clan. That appears, if you are normal for your Clan, to be a good thing, and that is the last thing I will say about it." James turned to Tiffany, and began talking about the Potions homework that Professor Snape had given them this morning.

Arthur looked at Rose, but she was talking to Melissa in low tones. In fact, all of the Manticores sitting around the bottom of the Gryffindor table were suddenly deep in conversation with someone, and Arthur was suddenly an island of silence in that talk.

James was watching him out of the corner of his eye, and recognized the flare of anger in Arthur's eyes quite easily. He'd felt it enough in himself after all. He was wondering what Arthur would do with that anger when he found out.

"I think," said Arthur, in a voice that carried to the table on each side of Gryffindor, "that you're simply cowards, scared to admit you can't beat a real team."

Silence spread through the room, as people were told what Arthur had said and they waited for James's response. James had started to flare up, but Tiffany and Rose, sitting on each side of him, had reached for him as soon as they felt his anger rise, and they calmed him enough for him to think about his response.

That response came not from James however, but Lisa, as James spoke to her over the link. She stood up in the silence that had fallen across the hall and spoke to the staff table. "Professor Potter, I believe the Quidditch Pitch is open Sunday morning, is it not?"

After a moment's thought, Harry agreed that the Pitch was open then.

Lisa nodded, and asked, "may Chimera reserve it then, along with the services of a referee?"

"I think that could be arraigned," said Harry mildly, although he had a faint smile on his face. He was proud of the domination of the Gryffindor team and had been very disappointed to find out that they would not be playing the Beauxbatons team. This would be fun to watch.

Lisa nodded and thanked him. She looked at Arthur and spoke coldly. "You, Sir, have come to this school as a guest and have been treated with nothing but respect. You have chosen to act the prat, and repay courtesy with insults. You have chosen to insult our courage and our skills. We will answer those insults on the Pitch. Sunday morning, our team will meet your team on the Pitch. If we win that match, you will apologize to our team, publicly, as you insulted us. After that, you will not speak to any of our team again."

Lacy Misthold, the captain of the Beauxbatons team stood up. Casting an annoyed glance at Arthur, she answered Lisa. "We will meet you on the Pitch, but I want you to know that the insult was his, not the team's thoughts toward you."

Lisa nodded. "So noted. Do you care if there are spectators?"

Lacy thought about it and shrugged. "We are going to watch the Hufflepuff team play, so I suppose it's only fair that they get to watch us play."

Lisa nodded again, and looked at Professor Potter again. "Would you make sure the Pitch is ready, please?"

Professor Potter nodded and bent to speak to Madame Potter, sitting next to him. She grinned at whatever he said, and looked at Tiffany, smiling. Ginny Weasley had been a fair Seeker, and a better Chaser. She was more than willing to watch her daughter play the Beauxbatons team.

Lisa was looking at Arthur before she sat down. Her voice was no longer pitched to carry around the room as she spoke to him again. "Sunday morning, you are going to learn a valuable lesson." She sat down and began to eat her dinner.

Adam took up where Lisa had left off. "You should never start a fight."

Emma was next. "Until you know what your enemy is capable of."

Hangeld didn't even look at him. "Fortunately, learning this lesson is not going to cost you much,"

Melissa chimed in, "or even hurt you much."

James and Rose looked at him. "Because we want you there to be humiliated by the Hufflepuffs." They got up and left, taking the rest of Chimera with them.

Arthur's anger had faded under the verbal assault, as he watched people he hadn't even been aware of answer his insults without speaking to each other. He watched them leave, and looked around. The Manticores were studiously ignoring him, and he finished his meal in silence.

Professor Dumbledore and Headmistress L'Amour had watched the byplay, and now Professor Dumbledore turned to her. "At least we have a good nurse. Mr. Pendragon will be able to play next week against Hufflepuff."

The Beauxbatons Headmistress looked startled. "You don't think they would try to hurt him, do you?"

Professor Dumbledore shook his head. "Not deliberately, but Mr. Evans will be hunting for Mr. Pendragon during the match. Had Mr. Pendragon only insulted James, he might have gotten away with it, but he chose to insult James, his Soulbonded, his sister, and all his friends. James Evans will be looking for him during the match."

In Gryffindor tower, James was planning that very thing. Lisa looked at him. "I thought you didn't want to take a chance at not being invited to play next year."

James smiled thinly. "I don't, which means we have the hardest game we've ever played coming up in two days. We have to win, without getting more than fifty points in front of them, and without making it obvious that we're holding back."

The others stared at him. "You do realize," Emma said, "that if their Seeker catches the Snitch, and we're holding back that much, we're going to lose?"

James was pacing back and forth as he thought about the match. "I have faith in Tiffany," he said absently, earning a smile from her, "and in our team."

Chimera went to work, planning their strategy for Sunday.

Saturday dawned bright and clear, a beautiful day for Quidditch, and the breakfast talk was all about the game being played today. The Hufflepuff team would play the thrown together team of Slytherins for the right to play Beauxbatons the following week.

Chimera and the other Quidditch players from Ravenclaw and Slytherin were confident that Hufflepuff was going to win, but most of the students were not so sure. After all, Hufflepuff was at the bottom of the standings, and that meant they couldn't be all that good, didn't it?

Sonya called James on the ring. "Chimera one, you should hear the talk at the table this morning. The Goyle brothers started it, and now everyone is telling Arthur about your fights, and the mystery of the Jerrands."

James grinned at the thought of the Jerrands. They had apparently dropped off the face of the earth after graduating. Since very few people knew what had actually happened to them, and James and Tiffany simply smiled every time the subject came up, most of the students almost believed the rumours that the Soulbonded had hunted them down over the summer and done unspeakable things to them involving spoons, then hidden the bodies.

The truth was far more prosaic than that. The Jerrands had finished school, and started looking for jobs, as most people did. They were offered a position making very good money, but shrouded in secrecy. They finally decided to take the job, and signed an oath to keep the job secret.

Only after they were bound by the oath did they find out where they were going. They had accepted a job testing the uses of magic and magical items under extreme weather conditions, and would spend the next three years doing so.

In Antarctica.

Since owls couldn't fly there, and the Floo Network didn't go there, they were effectively cut off from the rest of the world until their contract ended. It was not until the Jerrands reached Antarctica that they learned the company they had contracted with was a branch of the Cumulus Co. James smiled again at the thought of the Jerrands in temperatures that rarely rose above minus fifty-one Celsius and got up. They had somewhere to go before the match started.

Chimera and the Hufflepuff team met one more time before the Hufflepuffs went to the changing rooms. Adam was advising them, and the rest of Chimera was there simply to provide moral support. "Remember, these are not your true opponents. If a move works, keep using it until it doesn't work anymore, and then go on to another. I'll keep track of the ones you use here, and we'll change them before next week. I don't want the Beauxbatons knowing all your tactics before the match with them."

Chimera went to their seats as Denise Crosby started her pre-game announcing. "Good morning, everyone. It's a fine day for Quidditch, and we should have an interesting match today."

She looked at her notes, and murmured something to Emily Kitchen, who was sitting next to her. "Today we're going to find out who will play the Beauxbatons team next week. The Hufflepuff team is the odds on favorite to win, the first time in twenty-five years they have been favored to win a Quidditch match against Slytherin House."

That comment drew a black look from Professor Snape, who had been irritable all week. Most of that was because he'd watched both teams practice, and he was certain that his house was about to be humiliated again.

Denise hadn't even seen the look, and she continued. "They had been favored to win this match before, but the addition of the Infernos and weeks of intense coaching by the Gryffindor team have boosted those odds even higher." She paused for a second, listening to something Emily had to say, and then continued. "Normally, I would be telling you about the teams right now, but I can't tell you anything about the Slytherin team. The regular Slytherin team joined the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor teams in declining to play against Beauxbatons, and this Slytherin team is a hastily thrown together team with no experience on the Pitch."

"The Hufflepuff team, on the other hand, has two years of experience together, with the exception of Cary Fudge, who replaces Dan Jacks, a fifth year student more worried about OWLs than Quidditch." She took a sip of her tea, wondering why anyone would get up this early to play a game, and continued. "The Hufflepuff team has yet to win a game this year, but they did stay within fifty points of Slytherin and Ravenclaw, and they managed to score more points against Gryffindor than Slytherin did, a remarkable feat given the disadvantages they play under."

Denise grinned then. "That may change next year. Between the donation of the Infernos by an Alumni and the coaching of Adam Brooks, who creates the plays for the Gryffindor team, we may be surprised by this team next year."

She stopped, looking at the changing room, trying to see if they were ready yet. "Today, those disadvantages are gone, and the word from the Gryffindor team is that Hufflepuff is eminently capable of defending Hogwarts against Beauxbatons." She was tapped by Emily, who pointed toward the north changing rooms. "And here they are, the Hufflepuff team of Mayfair, Whittaker, Marshal, Whittaker, Lupin, Fudge, and Montgomery!"

A cheer rose from the stands as the Hufflepuff team flew once around the Pitch, and then took their places for the start of the match. "Here comes the Slytherin team of Martinova, Danders, Majors, Kittle, Crabbe, Crabbe, and Zanderson."

Professor Potter was judging this Match, and he spoke to both teams for a minute, and then released the Quaffle.

"The Quaffle is up, and Hufflepuff takes control. It's Whittaker to Marshal and Oh! A beautiful hit by Cary Fudge on Danders. Danders is out of control, no, he's got it back, but Hufflepuff has scored the first points of the game!" The Hufflepuff Chasers had taken advantage of the distraction by Cary to score, and they were euphoric.

The next two hours and nineteen minutes were an eternity for the Slytherin team. Hufflepuff had honed their skills against teams with four or more linked players, and against any normal team, they could more than hold their own. Against a pick up team like this one, they dominated the match completely.

Professor Snape left the stands when the score reached two hundred to forty. His expression did not bode well for the Slytherin team when he got his hands on them.

When the Snitch finally made its appearance, Zanderson dove for it, even though catching it wouldn't help his team at all. At this point, all he wanted was to end the game.

Xavier Montgomery thought about letting him have it, but his competitive streak pushed him into a dive after the Snitch.

Denise saw them diving out of the high positions they had held most of the game. "There go the Seekers! They're diving at the center of the Pitch, I don't see the Snitch, no, wait, there it is! It's just above the ground, not six inches off the Pitch and Montgomery is passing Zanderson, and it's going to be a race!"

She cleared her throat, getting hoarse from the shouting, and continued. "Zanderson tries to check the smaller Montgomery, and Montgomery loses a few feet avoiding the blow, he's coming back, pushing his broomstick, and they are side by side. Oh! Zanderson tries to check Montgomery again, but Montgomery is ready for him, and a quick dip leaves Zanderson out of position. He's going to have to make up the distance he lost now."

Montgomery could see the Snitch, but he didn't dare slow down to grab it with Zanderson ready to bump him from behind. They were only a meter or so off the ground, and he'd never be able to recover before slamming into the Pitch. Since he was certain that would hurt, and he didn't want to test the theory personally, he had to catch the snitch without slowing down. He made his decision in a split second, and crossed his feet under his Broomstick, taking a firm grip with one hand.

"Montgomery has a little space, but he can't slow down. I think he's going to overshoot the Snitch! OH! Montgomery has turned over, he's reaching, and YES! Montgomery has the Snitch, making a spectacular one-handed catch from an inverted position! Hufflepuff has taken the match!"

In front of the entire school, Xavier Montgomery, the Seeker that had never caught the Snitch, made his first catch streaking along barely a meter off the ground, and doing it one-handed. That alone would have elevated him into Hufflepuff fame, but he was also flying upside-down when he did it.

Listening to the crowd cheering, Headmistress L'Amour turned to look at Professor Dumbledore. "This is your worst team? Suddenly, I am glad we are not playing the best team."

Professor Dumbledore smiled faintly. "You are playing the best team, tomorrow." He thought about the mayhem that would take place this afternoon as Manticore had their prank contest, and smiled wider. His eyes were twinkling madly as he clarified that statement. "That is, you will play them if any of them are alive tomorrow."

Sunday morning, the alarm woke James and Tiffany from a mutually agreeable dream, and they spent a minute lying in their beds, just greeting each other and being lazy. That lasted about two minutes, and then James remembered that they were playing the Beauxbatons Quidditch team this morning.

He rolled out of bed and was getting dressed even as he used the Chimera link to prod people awake. He was still trying to get into his shirt as he went to the window to check the weather. He looked at the sky and groaned. It was a dark morning, with a solid mass of clouds that had rolled in overnight, and from the looks of it, the wind would be knocking along at a good clip as well.

He was talking strategies as he got his equipment out, until, "James!" sounded over the link. He stopped, startled, and looked around. Adam and Hangeld were staring crossly at him. "James," said Adam in a very quiet voice, "I realize you want us to win, and that you are a morning person. I can deal with that. However, yours is not the first voice I want to hear in my head when I wake up. You've no doubt already said hello to your lady, so give us time to say good morning to ours, or Hangeld and I will drop you in the lake while you sleep every night until you get the idea."

James stared at Adam, while Tiffany informed him that Lisa and Emma were just as upset. James sighed in mock disappointment. "I suppose, if you really need to, even thought you just saw them last night."

Hangeld looked at James, and a slow smile crossed his face. "James, if you're going to lecture us about our relationships, you might want to wear a turtleneck sweater while you're doing it."

James blinked, wondering what that had to do… He figured it out, and spun, looking in the mirror. "Cor, that's a good un, luv. Did the vampire that bit you get away?" asked the mirror.

In separate rooms, James and Tiffany blushed a dark red as they stared at the rather large love-bite on James's neck. James turned back to his grinning roommates. "I think," he said, attempting to muster his dignity, "that a turtleneck sounds like a good idea today."

By the time they went to breakfast, it had started to drizzle, dropping just enough moisture to keep everything damp and slick, no matter how many times you dried it off.

At breakfast, Rose brought out a scroll, passing it to James. "Here's your copy of the pranks from yesterday, vamp victim."

James flushed slightly, and was about to say something when Rose distracted him. "I think the whole Sheep thing."

James interrupted her, "That was good, but the Icicle Sheets."

"Area 51 showed."

"Singing Egyptians"

They continued to argue about the pranks from the previous day until they got to the changing rooms. Chimera had a routine in the changing rooms that never changed. They changed and then everyone crowded into one room, where they would discuss who they were playing and what they planned to do that day. Along the way, they would slide into a deeper acceptance of the link, where Adam's strategy, James' stubborn will, Emma's fearlessness, all the things that made each of them who they were merged into a single gestalt.

This gestalt was the real secret to their Quidditch success, because with it, they were nearly as close as James and Rose, or James and Tiffany. Only Rose held anything back, and after the disastrous results the only time she'd used the Sight to play Quidditch, none of the other Chimeras really wanted her to try it again.

They discussed what they'd seen of the Beauxbatons, and made guesses at how they would play. The chasers were well mounted, and so was Lacy Misthold, the Seeker. In fact, she had a Starblade. James had grinned when he heard that. He'd looked at Tiffany and told her, "Now you get to see if you're really a good Seeker, or just better mounted."

_(That comment had led to a pillow fight, then to a wrestling match after a pillow broke open, and then to the love-bite on James' neck. Therefore, the whole thing was his fault, which any woman could have told you anyway. Raven)_

The signal to start came, and they flew around the pitch, staying as close as the links would let them. They pulled up, waiting for the Beauxbatons team, and they were not long in coming.

They lined up, and Lacy Misthold, the Beauxbatons' captain, faced off with Lisa. She grinned at Lisa. "Why couldn't we have done this yesterday?"

Lisa smiled back. "The Hufflepuffs had the Pitch yesterday morning, and playing in the afternoon might have been bad. Just imagine turning into a sheep up here."

Lacey giggled at the thought of the sheep that had been chasing people around the castle, begging to be counted. "No, that would not have been good."

Professor Flitwick was the referee, as usual when Gryffindor played. "If the captains are done chatting, can we start the Match now?"

The two girls grinned at him, wished each other good luck, and said they were ready. The Quaffle was released and the Beauxbatons started down the Pitch toward Hangeld. James arrowed toward a Bludger, and hit it at Arthur, who dodged it easily, only to have to break formation with his fellow players as Rose's Bludger nearly hit him from the other side.

Hangeld deflected the first shot, and Lisa Malfoy retrieved the Quaffle, tossing it to Melissa as the Gryffindors started back down the Pitch. James and Rose were concentrating on Arthur, knocking the Bludgers at him every time they had them, and only occasionally sending them at other people, mostly when they didn't have a shot at Arthur.

The Beauxbatons team was very good, but the Gryffindors knew within about twenty minutes that they were better. In fact, they were hard pressed to stay within fifty points of the Beauxbatons team without making it obvious that they were holding back, and even at that, some of the more avid Quidditch fans knew something was wrong. Professor Dumbledore knew it as well, and called James on the Manticore ring. "Mr. Evans, playing less than your best is a type of lie. I suggest that you stop."

James frowned, thinking about it. Finally, he sighed and looked at the rest of the team. _"Change of plans, Chimera. Tiffany, try to find that Snitch quickly, please. Lisa, I think the Beauxbatons need a dilemma to solve, and Rose and I will continue. Let's play Quidditch."_

Rose batted a Bludger at the Beauxbatons' Chasers only to watch Mike Apple knock it away. _"James, we need to be careful with Arthur, he's not doing too well, and if we hit him again, he might just fall off his Broomstick."_

James grinned mirthlessly. _"Good, that's what I want. I'm staying as close as I can, I want to rescue him, just to add insult to injury, and if you could catch his broomstick, that would be just perfect."_

James and Rose had already hit Arthur or his Broomstick a dozen times, and now he was just following his teammates around the Pitch, trying to stay on his Broomstick, and watching the Gryffindor Beaters. James batted another Bludger his way and Arthur was dodging it long before it got to him, only to be blindsided as Rose sent a Bludger into the twigs of his Broomstick from the side and below him.

Arthur fell off, just as Rose had predicted, but hadn't fallen twenty meters before James and Melissa were there to hold him until Rose brought his Broomstick back. They set him on it and Melissa Healed the minor injuries he'd gotten playing target for the Evans twins. Melissa and Rose left, but James paused long enough to catch Arthur's eye. "If you ever insult my friends like that again, Mr. Pendragon, I'll make the rest of your life as miserable as the last hour has been. Do we understand each other?"

Arthur looked at James, rubbing the bruises that Melissa had not healed in her quick healing and looked at James warily. "If you're not a Pendragon," he said wryly, "You should be. You've got quite the temper, and a rather fierce loyalty."

James nodded, and looked at the other end of the Pitch, where Beauxbatons had scored. "That all being said, let's go play Quidditch, shall we?"

For the rest of the game, the Gryffindors forgot grudges and insults, settling down to play Quidditch just to have fun. This was probably the least most important game they would ever play in front of other people, since James' message to Arthur had been delivered, and they began listening to Adam, trying out some of the more elaborate plays that they hadn't tried in real matches yet.

The Beauxbatons team was quite good, and they actually scored quite often, but the link made pinpoint accuracy possible, and being able to tell a person that the Quaffle was coming their way from across the pitch without yelling it out for everyone to hear was too large an advantage. Tiffany's capture of the Snitch was surprisingly anti-climatic. She'd been up high most of the game, and looking down for the Snitch, as most Seekers did. She was taking a quick look at the sky, where the clouds were beginning to break up, when she saw the Snitch, some fifteen meters above her.

With the match over, the two teams landed, Lacy found Lisa. "The next time Arthur insults one of you, just hex him, will you?" She looked around, and stepped closer. "You've played both of us, which team do you think is better?"

Lisa thought about it for a minute. "I think next week's game will come down to who catches the Snitch. Both of you are good, and it's going to be a good match."

Lacy sighed. "I was afraid of that. I'm not that good of a Seeker. The only reason I am the Seeker is because I was better than the other person that tried out, and that's not saying much." She grinned at Lisa. "The poor fellow was on a borrowed Broomstick." She rolled her eyes.

Lisa grinned and suggested they get together for lunch. She knew that this was one of the people that Rose and Melissa had passed judgment on, and she was going to see just what kind of a person Lacy was.

Lacy and Lisa started walking away, and Lacy watched James sweep Rose, May-ling and Tiffany into a hug, celebrating the victory.

"She's very good. Is she the daughter of Professor Potter?" Lacy asked.

Lisa smiled at the visitor and answered the unspoken question as well. "Yes, she is, and yes, he is that Harry Potter."

Lacy shook her head, and grinned. "Professor Wood knew him, you know. They were on the Quidditch team together, but all the Professor remembers is that he was a great Seeker."

Lisa looked at Lacy. "Professor Potter destroys the Death Eaters and Voldemort, saving the Wizard world, and all Professor Wood remembers is his Quidditch skills?"

Lacy laughed, and linked arms with Lisa. "He's a little obsessive, our Professor." She looked around, making sure no one else could hear her. "Of course, he's also cute enough to get away with it." The two girls disappeared into the castle, giggling.

At lunch, Arthur delivered his apology in a clear voice, eliciting respect from Chimera.

Monday night after classes, Jerrick came to James with the files he'd amassed on the Beauxbatons visitors, and James spent the night reading them. The next day, after the classes of the day were over, he went to see Professor Dumbledore. They discussed the information Jerrick had received from his father, and set up a meeting with the students that had passed all of the requirements. That list included Lacy Misthold, both of the Sanchez siblings, and Trea Cale. Professor Dumbledore looked at the list and then at James. "Why isn't Mr. Pendragon on this list? He seems perfect for Manticore."

James grinned, "Besides the fact that he's got a hot temper, he's too intertwined with his Clan, and wouldn't keep a secret from them. That means that we exclude him, since I don't trust the Pendragons."

Professor Dumbledore regarded James soberly for a minute. "The Pendragon Clan is too big, and too powerful to be ignored forever. Sooner or later, you're going to have to deal with them, Mr. Evans."

James nodded. "I know that, but when I do, it will be from a position of strength, where I hold all the cards, and it will be at a time of my choosing."

Professor Dumbledore nodded again, and smiled. His eyes began to twinkle as he reached for a book on his desk. "Speaking of advantages, were you aware that there is a book," he said, holding up the book in his hand, "that records all the Clans of the Wizard world, much as the Book of Gold records the most powerful Clans in an area?"

James closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, listening to Tiffany giggle in the back of his head. "No, Professor, I was not aware of that."

The Headmaster opened the book. "There is a new clan listed here, as the Moondancer Clan. You wouldn't know anything about that Clan, would you?"

James sighed and answered without opening his eyes, but his face was turning an interesting shade of red. "That would be our Clan, yes. Apparently, assuming the Clan leader's power was enough to list the Clan in that blasted book."

"I see," said Professor Dumbledore, the twinkling in his eyes belying the gravity of his tone, "and may I inquire as to why our Clan is named Moondancer?" The Headmaster already knew some things about the Lakota language, and he knew that a Moondancer was the tribal name for a Unicorn. What he didn't know, was why James had named the Clan after one.

Rose and Tiffany were radiating laughter as they listened to the two of them talk. James frowned, and looked at the ceiling. "My tribal name is Moondancer, and names are important in Shaman Magic. I wanted to tie the Clan to me as closely as possible, so I used my name to create the foundation of the Clan."

Professor Dumbledore watched James. After four years of talking to him, the Headmaster knew when James was trying to avoid talking about something. James was dancing around something, but the Headmaster wasn't sure what yet. "I see," he said again. "If names are meaningful in your tribe, how did you get your name?"

Rose and Tiffany were laughing helplessly by now, and James made a note in the back of his head to do something to them later. He thought about what the Professor had asked, and sighed. "Sir, I'm afraid I just won't tell you."

Professor Dumbledore looked over his glasses at James. "Mr. Evans, are you telling me, how did you put it, to go to hell?"

James winced, and tried to think of a more diplomatic way to put it. Finally, he shrugged. "Yes Sir, with all due respect, I am."

The meeting between Chimera and the people James wanted from Beauxbatons took place in the Headmaster's office, as the Tower was still protected by the wards that prevented entry. James was planning to alter them so that people could enter the lowest three floors, but they hadn't had time to do the work yet.

James had given the Prophecy speech many times now, and went through it quickly. After he'd shown them everything, he stopped for questions. Trea raised her hand. "Why aren't the rest of Beauxbatons' people here?"

James sighed. "For one reason or another, they're simply not suited for this. Mike Apple is a nice guy, but he faints at the sight of blood. He's not a good choice to defend your school. Richard Lee doesn't faint at the sight of blood, but Melissa thinks he would be damaged mentally if he had to do the things we're going to be asking you to do in the defense of your school." James looked at the four Beauxbatons. "You four have the intelligence to use the skills we'll be teaching you, the courage to do so, and the mental stability to do so without going crazy."

Lacy frowned. "I don't think I could kill someone."

Lisa looked at her. Lisa had spent a bit of time with her, and liked the older girl. "Yes, you can, for the same reason I would. To defend your friends." Lacy bit her lip, thinking about it.

James began laying out his plans. He wanted Beauxbatons to create their own chapter of Manticore, and next year, when the Quidditch Matches were held at Beauxbatons, Chimera would meet the students from the other schools, and do any recruiting that seemed good for Manticore. "Don't get me wrong," said James, looking at them, "I'm not doing this because I want to. I really don't like the idea of people I can't control running around, but I simply don't have enough people to defend all the schools and carry the war to the Patient Child. This is the best way to defend the schools and the children in them."

Trea Cale was reading the Manticore charter. "Why isn't Arthur here? He doesn't seem to have any problems, like Mike and Richard."

James hesitated, thinking about his answer. "For a reason I can't tell you yet, we cannot use any Pendragon, or person closely affiliated with that Clan unless they would keep the project a secret from them. Arthur is too close to his father and his Clan to even consider keeping a secret like this from them. That may change in the future, and if it does, he would be invited to join, but right now, he's a security risk."

James went on to detail the help and assistance Manticore would give their newest chapter. Rather, the newest Prophecy chapter. He looked frustrated. "With the number of people that are in Manticore now, we really need a new name for the people that know about the Prophecy."

Lacy looked up from the papers she was reading. "That's easy. Call them by that Clan name, Moondancer, wasn't it?"

Everyone turned to stare at Rose and Tiffany, as they burst out laughing. Rose was laughing so hard she couldn't catch her breath, and James was hiding his face in his hands. What the spectators could see of his face was a deep red though.

Lacy frowned at the three of them. "Would you mind letting the rest of us in on this joke? I think we could all use a good laugh."

Tiffany nodded, saying, "I would love to, it's possibly the funniest thing I ever heard, but James extracted a promise that I wouldn't tell anyone without his permission."

Rose nodded, as she recovered. "I can't say anything either, as repayment of a serious favor."

The group turned to look at James. "What would it take to get you to tell that story?"

James started to say ice water in hell, and reconsidered. Wizards might be able to pull that feat off. "The defeat of the Patient Child."

Lisa sighed. "We're not going to be hearing it anytime soon then."

Maria Sanchez looked around. "What is a Moondancer anyway? I don't recognize the term."

Tiffany grinned at her. "No reason you should, it's an American Indian tribal name for a Unicorn, and James' tribal name." Given to him after the incident with the Unicorn and the lumbermen, she didn't add.

Emma Weasley stared at James for a minute and then giggled. "Somehow, I have a hard time seeing James as a symbol of Innocence and Purity," she said, pointing at James and Tiffany, who were sharing a chair again. As usual, James' hands were running through Tiffany's hair, since he wasn't doing anything else with them. The rest of Chimera grinned at the idea of James as an innocent anything.

Tiffany blushed, but didn't move. "We really can't help it you know. It's just a side effect of the Soulbond."

Professor Dumbledore agreed with them, but reminded them of the other side of the Unicorn. "The Unicorn is also a defender of the weak and virtuous. They can be fearsome opponents to evil."

"Getting back to our discussion," James said pointedly, "your people will have to follow the basic plan, subject to changes if needed. This summer, it would only be the four of you. Next year, you collect the people you want, and some more, that meet the Charter, but that won't know about the Prophecy. When you find a person for the Prophecy Manticores, you'll send his or her name to Jerrick, and when we visit next year, Rose and Melissa will use their talents to check them out."

Lacy looked up. "So Beauxbatons will have the second oldest chapter of Manticore?"

Rose shook her head. "Third, as the North American School of Wizardry has a chapter being run by Michael Evans, a cousin of ours."

In the end, all five of the Beauxbatons were sworn into the Clan, as Headmistress L'Amour had been warned by Professor Dumbledore that the Manticores occasionally needed direct supervision.

After they were sworn in, James turned to Emma with a smirk. "You owe me."

Emma shook her head. "Yes, I know."

Rose raised an eyebrow as she turned to look at Emma. "Haven't you learned that betting with James is merely a good way to throw your money away? What did you bet with him about anyway?"

Emma waved at the newest Manticores, talking with Lisa and Tiffany. "Them. I mean, we've had years to think about this, and we all had a week to think about it before we decided to join. They walk in here, and in just a couple of hours hear about the Prophecy, Muggle weapons, Dark Wizards and all the rest. I thought for sure that at least one of them would need to think about it overnight at least."

James shook his head. "Emma, fighters of any type have to be able to react quickly to changing situations, to think on their feet. If any of them had been the type to think it over, we wouldn't have needed them."

Emma frowned at James. "You could have simply told me that, you prat."

James smiled at her. "I could have," he agreed, "but this way, you'll remember it better."

Miguel Sanchez came over then. "James," he said in the soft Spanish accent both the siblings had, "how do we qualify for a ring? Is it a graduation gift?"

James grinned, "No, it's a tool." He went on to explain, and then looked at all the Beauxbatons. "When you form your chapter, pick a group of names, and stick with them. We used Magical Beasts and the other chapter is using birds of prey, mostly Raptor types. You choose a group, like felines, and make your teams. After that, all you need is a personal symbol." He indicated the sheets that they held. "The rules are in there, and after you have a team name and a symbol, we'll make the rings for you."

After all the questions had been answered, the Beauxbatons people went to put their scrolls and books away. Chimera looked at each other, using the link to discuss the meeting they had just finished and the implications. Professor Dumbledore watched them, and acting on a hunch, he cast the aura-reading spell. He watched them for a minute, and released the spell. April Erskine had told him that as Chimera grew closer, they would be able to draw on each other's talents, and that was showing in their auras. It only happened where they were 'meshing' as the Evans twins called it, but it was plain to see then.

Everyone had two or three colors that dominated their auras, but when Chimera meshed, they were almost equally all of the colors of the group. There were a few things that didn't change, like the vivid green flickers of Tiffany's Pyromancy and the softer leaf green of Melissa's Healing, but most of their colors would bleed over into all the auras.

Thursday afternoon, Emily came to James with the binding that the Wizards had used to enslave the Gargoyles, and the ritual that would unbind them. James studied the ritual that night, and Friday after classes the gargoyles were released from fifteen hundred years of slavery.

The one that had spoken to James when they opened the tower came to him as the others prepared to leave. "My family owes you a debt we may never be able to repay. If ever you have need of us, use this, and we will come." He handed James a scale from his side, and joined his family. In seconds, they were mere specks in the sky, flying north.

James was looking at the scale curiously. "What am I supposed to do with it? Rub it, eat it, or maybe burn it?"

Changing the wards on the tower was the last step in making it the new Manticore home. Anyone could enter the tower now, but anyone without a Manticore ring could only use the first three floors.

The only thing wrong with the tower was the vault on the top floor, and until someone accepted the title of Archmage, they couldn't do anything about that. Since none of the Manticores wanted to spend the rest of their lives in the tower, the Archmage's ghost was left to wander around, occasionally asking a new face if they wanted to be the Archmage.

On the last Saturday in April, Hufflepuff met Beauxbatons in one of the longest Matches ever played at Hogwarts. The Match started at 0900, and it was finally ended just before midnight when Xavier Montgomery captured the Snitch. The final score was four hundred and forty to three hundred and fifty, making Lisa right; it had come down to the Snitch. Chimera had watched the entire thing, although many less avid fans had left before the end of the match.

They went down and congratulated the drooping Hufflepuff team, who were far more interested in finding a bed, now that the excitement was wearing off. They also congratulated the Beauxbatons on a fine match.

Lacy sighed as she looked at Lisa wearily. Melissa was Healing a few scrapes Lacy had taken during the match, and Lacy grinned wearily at Lisa. "Next year, I want to play your team again. We got beaten both times, but at least your team did it faster."

Lisa looked around and spoke softly in Lacy's ear. "Just imagine what's going to happen to the teams from other schools next year, when two of your Chasers and one of your Beaters are mounted on Starblades, and linked."

Lacy blinked, and then a smile spread across her face. "That is going to make a difference, isn't it"

The two friends grinned at each other, and then Lacy looked around. "Adam, can I talk to you for a minute?"

The last days of school passed quickly. Gryffindor had taken the House Cup again, but only barely, as the defeat of Beauxbatons had ignited a new fire of house pride among the Hufflepuffs, and they came in second, losing to Gryffindor by only twenty points.

James was hopeful that this new energy would last until next year. One of the Gryffindor Manticores asked him if he wanted Hufflepuff to win the Cup next year. James was in Manticore Tower, on the fourth floor, and there were a couple of dozen Manticores there, from every team and House.

James shrugged. "I hate to lose, everyone knows that. Hufflepuff though, deserves far more credit than most people give them." James got up from the seat he'd been sharing with Tiffany, and began to pace as he talked. "Hufflepuff is far too often ignored. They are loyal, and by now, every person sitting here should know how important that trait is. They are also there, every time you need them. When this war ends, and the last shot has been fired, our Hufflepuffs will still be there, doing their jobs. Maybe they aren't as smart as Lisa is, or as ambitious as Sonya, or as brave as Emma. So what? Neither am I, or Tiffany, or any of us." James looked around at the people watching him. "What they are, is dependable, first time, every time. That is a highly underrated quality."

He pointed at the banners over each table. "Some of the people in this tower joined us for glory, or for ambition, or just because they thought it might be fun. Only one group of people joined us because there was a job to do, and they could help, without thought of glory or profit to themselves. And for that, if for no other reason, our Hufflepuffs deserve our respect."

James looked at the people watching him and grinned sheepishly. "Enough with the soapbox. You might want to think about it though." He turned to Tiffany. "My Lady, I feel like flying, and there is about an hour of daylight left. Would you care to dance?"

Tiffany was already on her feet and moving toward the door.

The last Monday of the school year, they had a visitor. When James and Rose got out of their last class, they found Mary Evans in the lounge on the first floor of the tower. Within minutes, all of Chimera was there. Mary Evans had started mothering Hangeld and Lisa, both of whom had no mothers. Lisa had one, but the woman was not the best mother. Mary, who's mother had been the same kind of person, concerning only with social standing and wealth, had taken both of them under her wing. That hadn't lasted long, and now Mary mothered all the Chimeras and a few of the younger Manticores equally.

James and Rose took her on a tour of the tower, since she had a Manticore ring. She raised an eyebrow to see the winged flame on a single large chair. "I see James is as forward as ever," she said to Rose, while James blushed, "That's a pity, I was hoping Tiffany would teach him discretion."

The three of them settled into one of the smaller rooms for a chat, and Mary told them why she was here. She was supposed to evaluate May-ling, and see if she should be given the Ice-Binding, so she could be told about the Draconian Codex.

James and Rose looked at each other. Mary smiled to herself. "I have heard about what happened, and that I apparently have a new daughter. She looked at both of them. "After I am through with May-ling, we are going to have a talk about hedging things like this with your parents."

James squirmed. "Mom, how do you come right out and say, 'by the way, your twins are now triplets, and one of them is a two thousand year old Asian girl'?"

Mary thought about that, and then grinned at James. "You just did, or you could simply say, 'Mom, I have a minor problem I need some help with.'"

Rose choked, and James glared at her, even as he blushed. "I did not say that very often."

Mary was laughing quietly. "No, just with the Unicorn, the Naga, and the Mountain Pixies, all of whom caused some severe damage before you told us about your 'little problem'." She looked around. "Where is May-ling?"

Rose closed her eyes. "She's in the Ravenclaw room, would you like her to join us?"

Mary was watching Rose. She'd been watching the twins use their bond since birth, and she recognized the signs better than anyone did. "Please, ask her to join us. I take it, from what I'm seeing, that she is linked, like your twinbond?"

James nodded. "Exactly like that, and Coyote changed her eyes as well. She's got the Evans eyes."

Mary cocked her head, and half smiled. "I believe I recall someone warning you about using Coyote as your Spirit Guide, especially during important rituals."

James merely blushed and squirmed. Mary grinned at him, and then frowned. "So you two got another sister because James likes to use the Trickster Spirit. How does May-ling feel about it?"

"It was quite a shock at first," came a new voice from behind Mary, "but I think I like it." May-ling came and sat down in a chair near Rose. "I never had a sister, and it has been more than two thousand years since I had a family at all. I am finding that the informality of an American family is helpful in forgetting some of the events of the past." May-ling's eyes were dark and shadowed for a minute. She shook off whatever memory she was thinking about with an effort, and smiled at Mary. "James is very different from my brothers, except in his teasing."

Mary smiled at May-ling. "All brothers tease, it's a universal law." She examined May-ling for a minute, and then rose. "Would you come with me, please?" she requested.

May-ling stared at her, then looked at James and Rose. They were quiet, but Rose smiled at her, and nodded. May-ling got up and followed Mary into a small classroom.

James and Rose waited, knowing that their mother was evaluating May-ling, and would give them her decision when she came out. Nearly two hours later, the two of them came out, and Mary looked at James. "She has been bound, and you may tell her everything."

James nodded, and sighed. "If y'all would wait for a few minutes, I may need you." He took May-ling off to a corner and cast a silencing spell around them. Mary frowned at the two. "We all know what he's talking about, why didn't he just do it here?"

Tiffany, who had come in while the twins waited blushed. "The spell he used is not a normal silencing spell. This spell actually puts up two silencing spells, and if someone casts a 'Finite Incanteum', it drops the first one, and warns the people inside the second." She blushed again. "The only problem with it is that we can only get it to cover two people at a time."

Mary looked at her, noting the blush. On a hunch she asked, "Have you actually tried, or has James already recorded it in the Evans spellbook?"

Tiffany blushed harder. "He's already recorded it," she admitted.

Mary kept a straight face, although her eyes were dancing with laughter. "What name did he record it under?"

Tiffany was examining her hands intently. "Lover's Quiet Privacy," she muttered.

James and May-ling finished their talk before Mary could pursue that line of questioning, and James was smiling. "She doesn't want to see it."

May-ling shook her head. "The destruction of Atlantis was barely a thousand years before my time, and the legends were still commonplace then. How he can sleep with that thing in his room is beyond me."

James smiled at May-ling as he and Tiffany started to leave. "Fair warning, oldest little sister, I'm going to inspect the Unicorn team's weapons and gear right now, and then I'm going to start on the unassigned Manticores. Aren't you one of them?"

May-ling rolled her eyes. "Yes, Sir, Captain Brother, Sir," she said as she thumbed her nose at him. He grinned and tousled her hair on the way out. Mary and Rose spent the rest of the day instructing May-ling in various things that she would have to know as an Evans, and as the fourth person in direct line of inheritance of Cumulus. She had blinked to hear that. "I don't know anything about running a business," she protested.

Mary shrugged. "Neither did I, when I married Robert, but I learned, and so will you." She looked at May-ling, and a shadow ran across her face. "I would suggest that you learn quickly, too. With the Prophecy, you could be running Cumulus in no time at all."

At the Feast on the last day of school, Gryffindor received the House Cup, and Hufflepuff received another trophy, this one yet unnamed. They also received a plaque, which would stay in Hogwarts. The Trophy would go to the tournament each year, and be taken home by the winning Quidditch team.

The Beauxbatons team didn't have assigned seats for this meal, and Lacy had chosen to sit with Lisa and Adam. She warned James and Rose that Arthur had become obsessed with finding out what branch of the Pendragons they were, especially since he'd seen Mary. He had already sent off owls, with descriptions of the three of them, asking his family about them.

James and Rose looked at each other and decided to tell their mother, who had been hiding from Pendragons and the press quite well for nearly twenty years.

As the students left the next day, Manticore gathered in the Tower, separating into the groups. With the exception of May-ling, who was under the same constraints as any other linked person, the unassigned Manticores were going to America for training as usual. They would be joined in a few days by the Beauxbatons people, and they would train as normal for the summer.

The linked teams and Phoenix left to join the Rangers that would be their escort into the Giantlands after seeing the unassigned Manticores off. The Manticores going into the Giantlands spent the next two weeks learning Ranger tricks for movement in hostile areas and other methods of cover and concealment.

They went over the route they would take again, this time with the Rangers that had been on the borders recently, who made one small change in their plan. One of the valleys that Manticore had planned to use was being occupied, and the Giants were building a small village there. Moving the route took less than fours hours, and then they went over it again, double-checking everything.

Four days before they had to be in the Valley of the Union, as the Giants called it, Manticore assembled their gear, and for the first time, other than for target practice, they received live ammunition.

For this mission, since they had t defend and hold a place for an extended period, each team was carrying an M-240B machine gun. Capable of hitting a Giant sized target at eighteen hundred meters, it could also send rounds downrange at an incredible nine hundred rounds per minute, and came with a spare barrel, in case the first one got too hot.

On the magical side, they all had a pouch full of little disks, which were made on the same lines as the pranks, but were far more useful. They had spells for invisibility, silence, camouflage, and securing prisoners. Some of them would make people glow in the dark, and some even exploded. Those had been one of the rare pranks that went completely wrong. When activated, they were supposed to become a Galleon, and stick to the fingers of anyone that touched them. They became Galleons, but when touched, they exploded forcefully, a fact that had caused James to spend a couple of days in a hospital when he was ten.

James had demonstrated the power of those disks, and warned people about being careless with them, not that he needed to after they saw one of the disks blow a hole through a five-centimeter thick oak slab.

James was very careful about anything that could be deadly, and was made with magic. The Wizard world had very strict laws about what constituted Dark Wizardry, and James did not intend to spend a few years in prison for making anything that could be classified as Dark Magic.

The day of the start of the mission, they Portkeyed to Drakknair, the last human town before the borders. Alexander and Martin had to go into the Ranger station there to make sure that the section of the border that they wanted would not be watched as they took the Manticores across the border.

James and Tiffany went in also, to send off a few last minute owls and see if they could order a few Magicrystals cheaper here. After they were done with that, they walked down the street, waiting for Alexander and Martin to finish in the Ranger station. Tiffany stopped in front of a small second hand store that had a number of books in the window. _"James, isn't this that book Emily wanted?"_

James looked at the book. _"A History of the Borders and the People that Guard Them," _he read, and nodded. _"I think so. Let's go see what they want for it_."

They went inside, and James saw the bins of stuff in the back. He grinned and started looking through them as Tiffany went and leafed through the book. She picked it up and looked at James, smiling at her thoughts as he sorted thingies and do-hickeys. "Teddy-bear, we are on a time limit here," she reminded him.

James sighed, and joined her at the counter, noticing the person behind it for the first time. "Nice hair," he said, "but way too tall."

The tall blonde woman behind the counter looked up from her book and smiled at them. She studied them for a minute and frowned slightly. "I know you two, by description at least."

James and Tiffany were used to this. As the only Soulbonded couple in two hundred years, the gossip papers were always trying to print something about them, and they'd gotten a few pictures from students at Hogwarts before James had made it plain that he would be… 'annoyed' with the next person that sent the papers a picture. Since most people believed that annoying James would mean him and Tiffany doing things to you involving spoons and immense pain, the students had quit sending the papers pictures.

There had still been enough pictures though, that most people were vaguely familiar with the Soulbonded's faces. James sighed. "You might have seen us in the paper. I'm James Evans, and this is Tiffany Potter."

The girl behind the counter smiled. "You're the two Soulbonded people. Mr. Derring is going to be sorry he missed you." She smiled at their blank looks. "My name is Alexandra Tremaine, and I'm just watching the store for the owner, Mr. Derring." She smiled again. "I get to read all the books this way."

Tiffany handed her the book they wanted, and smiled. "You would get along with Emily quite well."

Alexandra looked at the book, and a gleam entered her eye. "That will be fourteen Sickles," she said.

James looked at her, and at the book. He started to say something, but then he saw Alexander and Martin emerge from a building and start down the street. "I would love to argue that with you," he said regretfully, "but our friends are coming, and I don't have time."

Alexandra looked over her shoulder and turned around with a sigh. "I love a good bargaining session, but since you're in a hurry, that will be ten Sickles."

Tiffany thanked her and paid for the book. They stepped outside and joined Alexander and Martin. _"James, did you notice how she checked your story first, and then gave us a fair price? I like her."_

James nodded. _"So do I. We should come back here after the mission. We'll have some free time, and I wouldn't mind looking through the stuff in the shop anyway."_

Tiffany nodded, and looked around. _"You know, we should think about recruiting around here. The Borderers would make good Manticores, if Sonya and Mary Gebbs are any indication."_

Back with the Manticores, Alexander informed them that the window into the Giantlands would open at 1000 and stay open for forty-five minutes. That was plenty of time to cross the two-kilometer distance, except that only the Rangers would not be watching it. They would have to watch out for Giants on the other side, and that would take a little longer.

They mounted their Broomsticks, and made their final preparations, as the time approached. At ten, the first wave of Manticores, covered with invisibility spells started across, carefully checking everything out. They found a concealed rally point across the border and set up security, sending a message back to the rest of Manticore.

By 1035, everyone was at the rally point, and James set the travel order. He looked around, and keyed his ring. "All units, this is Chimera one. Lock and load your weapons, but remember the rules of engagement. We want to sneak through, not plow through. This is what we've trained for, my friends, so let's do it right. Chimera one out."

James fed a clip into his M-4 carbine and checked the safety again. He loosened his wand and looked up. Unicorn would be taking point for the first leg of their journey, and he gave permission to proceed.

Unicorn lifted off, staying barely four meters off the ground, and Dragon and Hydra took the flank positions as the Manticores lifted off, heading deeper into the Giantlands. Sphinx was the last team to lift off, as they had the tail gunner position for today.

Manticore crossed a small ridge and disappeared into the Giantlands, completely unaware of the leather-clad figure that watched the entire thing through a spotting scope from a hilltop nearly a mile away.


	31. The Heart of the World

_A/N: I know it has taken forever to get this out, and I hope somebody is still reading it, but that should change soon. I finally have a laptop again, and don't have to share the computer with all the housemates. Plus, due to some serious convincing by Greeneyes, I have thrown out the plot outline that I was using, because it simply doesn't work anymore. I underestimated the sheer amount of words I needed to get my ideas across. (OK, so prior to this, all I'd ever written was term papers, and those are easy.) Anyway, you've waited long enough, here's the first half of the Giantlands Mission._

_**The Heart of the World**_

Manticore was moving deeper into the Giantlands, using the terrain to mask their passing from inquisitive eyes. They flew as low as possible, following the point team, who was nearly two kilometers ahead of the main body. No Giants were sighted, either of the Un-aligned tribes, or of the Aligned Clans, and they finished the one hundred kilometers that was the goal a little early.

That night, Manticore bedded down in a grove of trees just below the crest of a hill. With the trees as cover, they could move around without being spotted, and by avoiding the crest of the hill, they prevented the easiest method of spotting people. Sky-lining yourself, or standing on the top of any terrain feature that allowed your silhouette to be seen against the sky behind you is a common error among untrained people, and it had been one of the first things Wolfpack had taught them about moving.

They set up a classic camp, called a "lazy W", with each position slightly offset from the one to either side, forming a W shape, if viewed from above. This allowed every Manticore to have a good field of fire, for both their wands and the Muggle arms, and forced them to depend on each other.

In this pattern, you did not aim to your front, but to the side, using flanking fire to defend the position next to you, while their fire covered your position. The Muggles had long ago determined that most people fight harder, and take fewer chances when other people were at risk from their actions, and this lazy W took full advantage of that.

The night passed without incident until about an hour before dawn. Only one team of Manticores was up at a time, to allow the others to get as much rest as possible, and Debra Valentine's Dragon team were on watch at that time. Debra came over and woke James, tapping him on the foot, and waiting for him to sit up before speaking. "We have a group of Giants coming down the valley."

James got up and grabbed his gear as he followed Debra to the edge of Manticore's perimeter. He took a set of the NVDs from the guard on that side of the camp, and looked down at the valley. _(Night Vision Devices. US military speak for any lowlight enhancing thingies. Raven the mostly knowing.)_

There was a group of Giants there, going in the same direction Manticore would be going in about an hour, and James sent for the Ranger on duty. When Martin Twofeathers arrived, James handed him the NVDs, silently blessing Jerrick's father, Adrian Clearwater.

Many of the Aurors that worked with Muggles had taken to using some of the Muggle devices, as Wizards could not usually detect their use, and the Aurors had long known about NVDs. NVDs do have one problem, and that is the display, which is entirely in shades of green, allowing movements to be seen, but quite fuzzy about details. The Aurors had created a spell to change the display from green to full color. "What Clan is that?" James asked Martin.

Martin looked through the NVDs, and spoke quietly. "It is the Skydancers, including a Clan Leader, that tall female in front." He continued to watch the Giants as James thought about that.

James frowned as he thought about the map of the Giantlands, comparing their current location with the Clan territories. "Their lands are far to the south and east of here. What are they doing here?"

Martin was still watching the group. "I'm not sure. They wouldn't bring a Clan Leader on a raid, but there are not enough of them for anything else."

James was thinking about the Giant customs that he'd been learning from Blacklegs and Professor Evans. "Could it be an embassy, or delegation of some sort?"

Martin frowned as he thought about it. "It could be, but it would have to be a very important one. Most groups of that nature are ten to fifteen Giants, and there are twenty-five Giants down there. We should look into this." Martin spoke with the years of habits trained into him on the Border.

James grinned at him, hearing the curiosity in his voice as he watched the Giants. "One mission at a time, Ranger. If you want to look into it in four days, I'll let you go."

Martin sighed as he watched the Giants. "They seem to be heading our way," he said, "we should send a team to follow them. We do not need to find out they have stopped for the day on our route."

James hesitated, paranoia warring with caution and fear for the team he would be sending out. "You'll guide the team?" he asked. At Martin's agreement, James sighed. "Will Sonya and two of her team be enough?" Martin nodded again, and James sent one of the Dragons after Sonya.

When she arrived, James showed her the Giants, about to disappear out the end of the valley. "Pay attention," he said, staring at Sonya sternly. "Shadow only. If you are spotted, you will break contact instantly and regroup with us ASAP, is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir." Sonya said, as she watched the Giants walking around a bend that hid them from sight.

By the time James finished briefing Sonya, Daniel Creevy and Anari Achmed were there, suited up and ready, bringing Sonya's Broomstick and gear with them. The four of them flew after the Giants, after James had one final word with Martin. "Into your hands," he said formally, "I pass three of my kin. Keep them safe."

Martin gave James a half-bow. "I accept your charge. As dear as my skin, I will keep your kin."

James watched them until they were out of sight and went looking for Alexander. Alexander woke when James nudged his foot, and James told him what he'd done. "I have never sent a team off to do a real world mission before, only the training missions. Is it always like this?" James asked, staring off toward the last place he'd seen the small group.

Alexander looked at him. "Let's see, worry for them, some fear, that you have sent them into something too big for them, and a touch of guilt, that you are not there to share their risks, and watch over them? Is that what you mean?" he half asked, half stated.

James looked at him. "That's it exactly."

Alexander sighed as he started to dress for the day. "Yes, it will always be like that. All you can do now, is ask yourself a couple of questions. Did you train them to the best of your ability? Do you believe that they are capable of the mission you sent them on?"

At James' nod, Alexander shrugged. "As long as you can answer those questions affirmatively, there is nothing you can do now, but trust your people."

James was still staring after the team he'd sent out. "I do trust my people, but right now, it doesn't help much."

Alexander smiled thinly as he packed his gear with the ease of long practice. "Good. If you ever stop worrying about your people, you need to step down, and let someone else lead." He sighed. "Of course, by then, you won't give a damn, and you'll be a new problem for us."

James stared at him for a minute, and then slipped away, going to find Tiffany. Tiffany had already packed their gear and had one of the Ranger trail rations waiting for James. _"Eat, Teddybear. You're not going to help things by being a grouch."_

One of the side effects of the rapid aging of the Soulbond was the energy burned by the couple. As even Wizards knew, when you burned more energy, you had to eat more, to replace that energy. James saw the fact that Tiffany and he had to eat half again what anyone but Hangeld did as a weakness, and had convinced Melissa to keep this fact quiet.

James took the trail ration, thinking about the preparations they'd made for this trip. One of the sticking points between Alexander and James had been about rations. Alexander had wanted to bring just enough rations for the mission, plus one day extra. James had wanted to bring an extra week's worth, just in case. They had finally compromised on three days extra rations. James finished the first of the two fruit and grain bars and started the next while he thought. The mission was already underway, and the preparations that they'd made couldn't be changed now, but thinking about them kept James' mind off of Sonya and her team, out there somewhere in the dark.

He finished the second grain bar and reached for the one he always ate last, a bar of dried meat, similar to jerky, and turned as his hand encountered Tiffany's hand, hiding the bar from him. _"I have not had my kiss this morning, and I want it while you still taste of honey."_

James smiled at her. _"You don't like my kisses anymore? I have to flavor them now?"_

Tiffany snuggled close, raising her face for a kiss. _"You know better, but the taste of honey reminds me of the letter game."_

James' pulse jumped as Tiffany brought up a pastime they indulged in when they had the time and privacy. _"Then, by all means, let's remind you."_

They spent a few minutes holding each other and kissing, as Melissa watched them with a frown. She'd tried to get them to try an experiment, and been turned down, one of the few times the Soulbonded had rejected learning something new about their bond, but Melissa had been watching them for years now, and she was fairly certain that all the touching they did was in fact, needed, somehow strengthening and renewing the Soulbond.

She couldn't prove it of course, but James was a compulsive worrier, fretting over every detail of everything the Manticores did. Added to that, he was an Alpha personality, who had to be in charge. Put those two facts together, and then place Manticore in hostile territory, where any giant that saw them might attack them, and there is no way he should be willing to stop and cuddle with Tiffany, unless something was driving him to it. Melissa frowned, making another note in her notebook. She wasn't worried about the couple, but this could be a problem if they were forced to remain apart for long.

She turned to her gear and began packing up, reaching out with the Empathy that was the gift of the Healer's talent. Until they started the spell at the Heart of the World, Melissa's sole responsibility was to make sure that none of the Manticores were breaking under the strain of their first real world mission. Rose had not foreseen any of them being unable to handle this, but Professor Evans had warned them that stress could not always been predicted.

He'd been in Chimera's room in the Tower, going over the last minute details with them when the subject came up. "Stress hits some of the strangest people at the strangest times. One person may do twenty missions, and crack on the twenty-first, and others may be great in training, but when it comes down to pulling a trigger that will harm another, they just can't do it, and you'll never know until the moment comes. That is the single biggest problem we have, and it's why we have so many Rangers going with us. I can count on them, and if the worst happens, I have a solid core of fighters that have been blooded already."

James looked at him. "Surely you trust Chimera to do what needs to be done."

Professor Evans had spent a minute examining the eight people before him. "You and Rose have done a couple of things that make me fairly certain that you will act, but I can't say that about the rest yet, and Melissa won't kill, because of her Clan rules."

The eight of them looked at each other. Melissa sighed. "I think the prophecy will make sure we do what is needed."

Alexander had looked at her, smiling wryly. "Pardon me if I prefer to put my trust in more material things, and Ranger skills. You may or may not be protected by the prophecy until the start of the war, but the rest of us are not even mentioned, and don't have that privilege."

Melissa came out of the memory as her ring vibrated with the wake up call for Manticore, and she looked over at her companions. Melissa had to smile as both of them sat up simultaneously. "Good morning Rose, May-ling," she said in an overly bright voice, smiling at her friends. Melissa was usually up early, while Rose and May-ling were less eager to start the day. They were not as bad as Lisa was about getting up, but they didn't like it much.

Two sets of green eyes turned her way, and regarded her blearily. May-ling turned to Rose. "You had to pair us up with a morning person, didn't you?"

"It was either her or James and Tiffany, and do you want to be next to them all night?" Rose said as she sat up and began getting ready for the day.

May-ling thought about that. "Not really, no."

By the time the sun rose, Manticore was packed and ready to go. As the convoy lifted off, James called Sonya. "Hydra one, this is Chimera one."

James smiled in relief as Sonya's voice came back quickly. "Chimera one, this is Hydra one, go ahead." Sonya was nearly five kilometers away, carefully following the group of Giants that had passed through the valley just before dawn, and she was certain she knew where they were going. She had also been expecting James' call, as the Manticores should be moving out right about now, and James would be wanting to know what was going on, and when they would rejoin the rest of the Manticores.

James was watching as Unicorn took the point and led the other teams out of the grove they had stopped in. If everything went well today, Manticore would be in the Valley of the Union by nightfall. Right now, he was far more worried about the four people that weren't here. "Hydra one, give me a SITREP please." _(SITREP; Situation Report. Raven.)_

"Roger that, Chimera one. SITREP follows. The giants have turned toward the new giant village in Valley 240, and are about to enter that valley. When they do, we will break off and rejoin the main body. ETA the valley, ten minutes." She paused to observe the terrain around them, comparing it to the map. "Scout one will rejoin you near ridge 19, ASAP."

James checked his map, marking the position of the small ridgeline they would be skirting in about thirty minutes. "Roger that Hydra one, CYA." _(CYA; Cover your a$$. Not an official military acronym, it's still a common one. Raven, who is fast learning far too much military lingo.)_

"Always, Chimera one. Hydra one out."

Manticore was moving a bit slower this morning as the fog in the valleys they were using was decreasing visibility. Hydra linked up with them, and Sonya sent her two back to join the rest of Hydra while she reported to James. James listened to her report and smiled. He tossed her three of the Snickers bars and told her, "share those with your team for a job well done."

Sonya grinned. "You mean I don't get to keep them all?" She threw James a salute as she flew off to rejoin her team.

Martin was looking at James with a quiet smile. "Hey, I brought your kin back safely, don't I get one?" James looked at him, and tossed him one as well. Manticore made good time once the fog burned off for the day, until Unicorn reported a group of Giants crossing their path. Manticore went to ground, hiding and waiting for the Giants to pass, and lost an hour's fight time, which caused them to reach the Valley of the Union just after dark.

Manticore set up a hasty perimeter while James, Mercy, Sonya, and Alexander surveyed the valley. Those decided where they would place each team, and came back. James briefed the team leaders on their places, and which teams he wanted where.

By 2130, all of the linked teams were in place. Sphinx and Hydra had the southern valley entrance, and Griffon and Dragon were the QRF, or quick reaction force. It was their job to reinforce which team needed them, in case something happened that the team on the perimeter couldn't deal with on their own. The last two teams, Unicorn and Pegasus had the northern entrance of the valley. Chimera and Phoenix didn't have positions yet, as their positions would be determined by the actual location of the Heart of the World. A couple of digging spells had the fighting positions of the teams that were digging in finished in no time at all. Commonly called foxholes, each position had cover and concealment for two people.

With the addition of some invisibility spells, you could walk within three meters of one of the positions and not even know it was there. Manticore settled in for the night, getting the last bit of rest they would get until after the Heart of the World was gone.

The next morning, the team leaders, under Wolfpack's supervision, carefully set out the final layer of defense Manticore had brought along. The US Military had been using the Claymore mine for decades, and the addition of a bit of magic only increased its effectiveness. Slightly more than half a kilogram of C4 explosive in a slightly curved casing, it also had seven hundred and fifty steel pellets that was deadly out to fifty meters and capable of causing injury within two hundred and fifty meters. Each of the four team leaders on the perimeter placed six of the mines.

They had their defenses in place by ten, and James started sending a scout team out, half of one of the QRF teams. They would patrol around the valley out to about ten kilometers, providing an early warning system.

Everything was going well, until just after noon. James was walking around, inspecting the positions and talking to the Manticores when his ring sounded. "Chimera one, this is Scout one."

James frowned as he answered the ring. "Scout one, this Chimera one, go ahead." This couldn't be good. The other Chimeras began drifting up, waiting to hear what the scouts had to say.

"Chimera one, we have a visual on a group of giants, inbound to the valley. There are two Clan Leaders, Two Shamans, and four Elemental Mages, one for each element, and twelve others of lesser standing." Ariel Fairstone was leading this group of scouts, which James gave silent thanks for. Conor McCloud was a good team leader, but he was occasionally a little rash. He wouldn't attack the giants, but he might take his team in too close, trying to get a better look. "There are two Clans represented here, the Skydancers and the Stonebenders. ETA the valley, forty-five minutes."

James thought about that for a minute. "Scout one, break away, and regroup. Chimera one out."

James gathered the team leaders and told them what the scouts had seen. "Chimera and I will deal with this, and I want all of your people out of sight. I want to have hidden reserves until we find out what they are here for, and if they're violent."

Manticore went to their positions, covering them with invisibility spells and settling in to wait. James, Tiffany, and Sonya waited for Mercy and Alexander to get there, and James explained what he wanted to do, after filling Alexander in on the approaching giants.

Alexander frowned. "Two clan leaders and shamans? With four mages? Something important is going on to have that many giants of those ranks coming. I wonder if they know that the Heart of the World is coming somehow?"

James shrugged. "I don't know, but I do know how to find out."

Alexander considered James' plan. "It's a little risky, but it might work, if they are curious enough." He thought about it some more. "On the other hand, with them coming here, the only other choices we have are to capture and hold them, or kill them outright, and either of those choices would result in the Clans swearing blood feud, and that would be worse."

"My thinking exactly," James said, "and we might need them in the times to comes."

James, Tiffany, Sonya, and Alexander crossed into the area covered by Sphinx and Hydra, and waited for the giants. Mercy was slightly further back, hidden in a small hollow until they determined if the giants would be hostile or not.

It was not long before the giants could be heard, moving through the forest, and not long after that, the first giant stepped out of the woods. He paused to look around, and James took a good look at the first giant he'd ever seen up close.

It was a male giant, standing just over seven and half meters tall, and dressed in leather armour that closely resembled the Ranger leathers. He was carrying a spear in one hand and had a sword strapped to his side. James was still trying to read the symbols and marking on his leathers when Sonya murmured in his ear.

"A border guard of the Stonebender Clan, with eleven battles and four single combats to his name. He's young, unmated yet, and considered a mid grade warrior." Sonya was a borderer, having grown up on the borders of the human and giant lands, and reading the markings on the leathers was as simple as reading a scroll to her. That her mother, father, and stepfather were all Rangers didn't hurt either.

The giant saw them, and called something over his shoulder as the other members of his group stepped out of the forest. The other giants were also dressed in leathers, except for four, dressed in the robes of Elemental Mages, and the two that James assumed were the clan leaders, as they had on long chain mail tunics, that came nearly to their knees.

The two groups surveyed each other for a minute, and then James and Sonya lifted off, staying about five meters off the ground and moving forward until they were about ten meters from the giants. James made sure that his hands were in plain sight, showing that he was not holding a weapon, and he spoke to the group, looking at the two giants in chain mail. "I would rest, and discuss matters with you. I am but passing through your lands, and would exchange songs with you."

The giants watched James and Sonya, and the two giants in chain mail looked at each other. James watched them carefully, knowing that they would make the decisions here, and he blinked suddenly. James had seen that look a thousand times or more. _"Tiffany, is it my imagination, or do they have the look of people using the linkspeech?"_

Tiffany's answer came back, after she spoke to Alexander. _"I agree, they do look like that, and Alexander thinks so as well."_

James waited patiently for the response. Unlike the giants that had joined Voldemort, the clans were intelligent, and they had customs dating back centuries. One of those customs was that they did not hurry often. In speaking to a giant of one of the clans, quick answers were considered an insult, showing the giant you were talking to that you did not think their words were worth thinking about.

James took this time to examine the Clan leaders more carefully. The female was a Skydancer, and unmated, but promised according to her leathers, and she had fifteen battles to her name, as well as seven single combats. She stood a full seven meters tall, with brown hair and eyes.

The Stonebender leader was male, and closer to eight meters tall, with a wide chest and muscles that pushed his leathers and chain mail out. He carried an iron bound mace, in counterpoint to the female's sword. He had twelve battles and five single combats to his name.

The male Stonebender spoke after he finished looking at the giantess. "Your request is fair. I would know why you are here, in our lands at this time."

James waited, thinking about just how he wanted to phrase this. _(Right. I'm not going to mention the pauses anymore; you can just imagine a two to three minute pause between each speaker. Raven the hasty.)_ "I have meat and salt. Will you partake, and share songs?"

The giants agreed, and James motioned the rest of his party forward. As he did so, he sent back a hand sign for Mercy to approach. The giants looked around when Mercy came out of the hollow, trying to see if there were any more humans about.

Mercy laid out a cloth, and placed some meat on it. Taking out her wand, she cast the spell "_Engorgio_", returning the meat to its original size. They had planned for this; just in case they did get to talk to any giants, and the meat had been shrunk for the same reason people shrunk their trunks, to make them easier to carry. She also placed a bowl of salt, large enough for the giants to use, filled nearly to the brim.

Mercy bowed, first to the giants, and then to her party as giant custom dictated, before withdrawing as silently as she'd come. Alexander was watching the giants, and noticed the Skydancer female looking at the patches on the Manticore uniforms. James and Tiffany were wearing the same patch of course, but everyone else the giants had seen so far was wearing a different patch.

"Shall we sit and talk?" James said, waiting for the Clan leaders to sit before his party sat down. He took a bit of salt and sprinkled it on the meat before him. "I share meat and salt."

The giants did the same, and everyone at the cloth took a bite of the meat before them. James waited, knowing that the giants would speak first, as was their right. James was far less worried about this meeting now. Sharing meat and salt was another of the Clan customs, and with the sharing, both sides had agreed not to harm the other side for a period of six hours after they finished talking. Of course, Manticore had to be here for seventy-five hours, but this was a start.

"I am Treebreaker, and my companion is Shadowstalker," the male giant finally said. "Might I know how you are called?"

James nodded. "I am called Moondancer, and my companions are Greeneyes, Blade and Hydra."

The two giants looked at each other, and this time James and Tiffany were certain that they had a link of some sort. As they discussed it, Rose spoke to James. _"James, Eagle says that is the Skydancer female that he and Sonya tracked near valley 240 a couple of days ago."_

Before James could answer her, Treebreaker spoke again. "I know of you, Blade. The Riverwalker Clan still sings of your actions."

The flash of pain in Alexander's eyes was quickly hidden as he looked at Treebreaker. "Well do I remember the Riverwalkers. They were wrong in what they tried to do, but the attempt was honorably done, and valiant."

Six months before the end of the Voldemort war, the Riverwalker Clan had become the only clan of giants to join Voldemort, and they did it not for belief in anything Voldemort was saying but because he promised them the Magicrystal mines in Drakenoir. They had made their attempt to overrun Drakenoir, but Alexander, Martin and another Ranger known as Sable had rallied the people of Drakenoir and held the town through three days of heavy fighting, until reinforcements could arrive.

The fighting had created several songs. Blade had faced a double hand of giants in single combat, and he was here to talk about it. Sable stood as the only woman to face three giants at once, and walk away from it. The three of them, along with twenty-six scared civilians, had held out against an entire clan for seventy-seven hours, and given rise to a dozen songs in the process.

The clan leaders asked Alexander a couple of questions about Drakenoir, and then looked at the others. "You we do not know," Shadowstalker said to Hydra, "although your leathers name a fine lineage."

Sonya bowed slightly. "My parents have such names as to make me doubt I can grow into them."

They looked at Tiffany and James next, and James had the feeling that the giants knew about their link as well. "You have the look of Blade, but we know you not."

James smiled slightly. "I am of Blade's line, and all of us are his students in the ways of the Ranger, but my Mate is only slightly related to him, being of the Lightning marked one's line."

The giants looked at each other again, and James spoke to Rose. _"Sister mine, are Tiffany and I going crazy? Tell me you think they have a link as well."_

Rose's answer came quickly, even as James could feel her talking to May-ling. _"If you're going crazy, James, May-ling and I will meet you there because we both think they have a link also. I think it's a tight link as well, allowing speech, and I would love to know what kind of link it is."_

Shadowstalker was watching James, and he had the sudden thought that she was thinking the same thing about him, that he was thinking about her. She spoke, in a musical soprano that sounded deeper, simply because of the sheer size of the person it came from. "Truly, the song that brings you here will be a long and glorious one. Will you share this tale with us, that we might say we were there, in the start of this song?"

James looked at them. "It is a long song, and until it is finished, none may say how long it will be remembered, if it is even sung at all." He looked at Tiffany, asking Rose and Melissa about these two giants.

"_Sorry, brother mine,"_ came Rose's soft reply. _"You'll have to use your own judgment here. The spell and Sphinx's knot have the future paths so knotted that I cannot see anything at all. Melissa says that they are as honorable as any giant she's ever heard of."_

James sighed and looked at the giants. "Three years ago, Greeneyes and I met, and Soulbonded."

The two giants sat up straighter. "You are truly _Kal'drath_?" Kal'drath was a giant term, which translated roughly to "One person in two bodies", although it meant far more than that.

James nodded. "We are, and in that fact lies the seed of our song." James told them about the aging of the Soulbond, and how the Book of Life seemed to offer hope. "Here then, is the crux of the matter. Tonight at sunset, the final element we need for this spell will appear in this valley. The Heart of the World is coming here."

The two giants hissed in surprise. "The Earthstone comes here? Great tidings this."

James explained about the requirement that he and Tiffany be touching the Heart of the World during the spell.

"I see," said Treebreaker, "that does explain why you are here, and should you lay hands on the Earthstone and live, it will be a matter for song indeed. No one has ever touched the Earthstone and survived with their minds intact."

James and Tiffany looked at each other. There had not been anything in the Book of Life about insanity, or danger in touching the Heart of the World. James turned back to the giants. "Such as that may be, we shall try it, for we have a task ahead of us that may take more years than the Soulbond allows. That tale though, is for another time. Might we inquire what bring so many names to the valley?"

Treebreaker started talking. "It has been many years since our Clans started, and those years have been good. Two years ago, the Elders decided that it was time to spread out, and mix the blood of the Skydancers with the Stonebenders. To facilitate this, a gathering was held of both clans, and the Mages cast a spell, seeking those who would be best for the new clan, as we have done for centuries."

Alexander looked up. "The new village, south of here is the first village of the new clan."

Shadowstalker took up the story. "It is, and we shall go there after we have been mated. Fifteen generations of Stonebenders have been mated here, in the Valley of the Union, and my beloved asked that we be mated here, before we left for the new lands. Since the _Sitka _did not seem to care, we came."

Alexander and Sonya looked at each other, and then back at Shadowstalker. "Pardon me," Sonya said thoughtfully, "but I do not recognize that term. What is a _Sitka_?"

Shadowstalker frowned, and her pause was long even for those of the giant blood. "It is a gift, and a spell. It is a curse, and a blessing. When a new clan is started, its very survival depends on good leaders. Without good leadership in those first few years, a clan can be destroyed in many ways. Eight Elemental Mages and four Shamans get all the people of the new clan together, and cast a spell over them all. When they finish, each person of the clan must look at each other person."

Shadowstalker looked at Treebreaker with a quiet smile. "The ones that can best lead the clan in its early years will be connected, able to speak and know what the other wants. This way, the new clan leaders are not separated by misunderstandings or malice."

Treebreaker reached out and placed his hand on Shadowstalker's shoulder. "It is not always given that those chosen are compatible, but over the last two years, we have grown close, and I asked her to Mate with me before we left for the new lands."

He looked at the humans. "We will, barring any unforeseen problems, have a nice village next year, and the beginnings of a good clan in three years."

The group sat and talked awhile longer, exchanging news, and then the giants excused themselves to go to the small grove of trees that was the site of the Mating Circle.

James gathered Chimera, Alexander, Sonya, and Mercy for a long talk. "I note," he said, "That there was no mention of a peace between us. Ideas, anyone?"

Alexander frowned. "That was odd. They didn't even mention it, as if they hadn't even considered it necessary."

Sonya smirked at them all. "Hello… doesn't anyone remember Giant Mating Customs 101?"

Alexander groaned. "It has been too long since I attended a giant ritual. Yes, I forgot."

James looked at Adam. "I understand what you mean, when you have to stop and ask what something is." Adam was the only Muggleborn wizard in this group, and he quite often had to be filled in about some Wizard thing he'd never heard of. James looked at Sonya. "Would you mind reminding us about whatever we seem to forgotten?"

Sonya grinned. "A Bonding party may not cause violence. They may defend themselves, but they can't start it."

James smiled. "That's good for us, since I wasn't planning on starting anything while we were here." He looked at Sonya and grinned. "I was going to tell everyone at the same time, and most of them should have figured it out already, but you are going to be in charge of Manticore while Chimera is busy."

Sonya sighed. "I knew it. Do I get a ROE, or do I get to make it up as I go?" _(Yet more milspeak, Rules of Engagement are the rules laid down by the chain of command for a group's actions before, during, and after combat regarding the treatment of OPFOR, civilians, and others.)_

James sobered. "We'll be discussing that before the Heart of the World gets here."

Tension rose in the Manticores as they waited. They trusted Rose and James, but the Book of Life was another story. If the Heart of the World appeared at sundown tonight, then the rest of the book was probably true as well, but no one had the faintest idea yet if the Earthstone would appear or not.

Everything was ready by four in the afternoon, and James was talking to the team leaders, setting the rules he wanted them to follow while he was busy. "You all know your jobs. Sonya is in charge, and I expect all of you to back her up as needed. Jerrick is running Phoenix, and Mercy and May-ling will be with us. Wolfpack will be in the perimeter somewhere, and you need to remind your people about the giants. We are their guests, and they can't start any trouble anyway, so y'all just leave them alone. If they talk to you, be polite, but don't tell them anything about Manticore. Refer them to Sonya."

James looked at the sun when he was finished. It was just a finger's width above the horizon, and the Heart of the World should be showing up soon. James sank into the meditation that allowed him to touch the Manticores he was linked to. He found a lot of tension, but surprisingly little fear.

He came out of the meditation to find three sets of green eyes regarding him impishly.

Rose: "Checking on the children?"

Tiffany: "Did you leave a number with the babysitter?"

May-ling: "Is everything ok, Mommy?"

James stared at them as Alexander and Chimera laughed. "Wolfpack one, did you ever get this much grief when you led?"

James's uncle grinned at him. "No, but I never invaded the Giantlands with my wife and sisters either."

James stared at Rose. "I seem to recall," he said thoughtfully, "that I wasn't given a choice. I seem to recall mention of me being here in chains if necessary."

Rose shrugged, unrepentant. "We're doing all the work, brother mine. You just have to stand in front of the Heart of the World, touching it."

As Rose finished her statement, the sun slid below the horizon and the feel of the valley changed. Chimera, Phoenix, and Wolfpack watched in awe as a massive cylinder of rock appeared in the center of the valley. It was ten meters high and five meters wide, a solid block of some strange black stone with red streaks running nearly straight up and down the monolith. The Heart of the World radiated magic as a bonfire radiates heat, and all across the valley, everyone knew that the Earthstone had arrived, even the giants and Alexander.

James stared at it for a minute, and then looked at Rose. "Somehow, I don't think our part is going to be all that easy," he said, sobered by the presence of something that had existed before any recorded history. Looking at the Heart of the World, Rose had to agree.

Phoenix began setting up their perimeter around the monolith as Chimera assembled for their task. James pulled Mercy and May-ling over to one side. "Mercy, you know your job, and May-ling, take care of them for me."

May-ling hugged James. "You just make sure you take care of yourself. I have just gotten used to having a brother again."

Hangeld and Emma were going to be the first two casters. They had to start casting at the same time James and Tiffany put their hands on the stone. Rose was going to synchronize them all, using the link. Hangeld and Emma took their positions while James and Tiffany stepped up within touching distance of the Heart of the World. This close to the mystical rock, the magic it held was nearly a physical pressure on them, and they looked at each other.

James turned, about to say something, but Rose merely held up a pair of handcuffs. James smiled slightly. _"Interesting hobby you have there, Sister mine. Is there something you're not telling me?"_ Rose blinked, and then carefully, deliberately, stuck her tongue out at James.

Rose sobered, and looked at her brother, and then the rest of Chimera. "Let's get started." The five of them meshed, allowing Rose to control the link. She started a countdown. _"On my mark, five, four, three, two, one, Mark."_

On the signal, James and Tiffany placed their hands on the warm stone as Hangeld and Emma began the chant that was their part of the ritual.

As the Soulbonded touched the Earthstone, Chimera froze, and only Rose's control of the link kept Emma from breaking her chant off as James and Tiffany disappeared from the links and from sight. A few seconds passed as Chimera realized that James and Tiffany were still there, but separate somehow, as if some force shielded them from touch or sight.

Chimera watched the ritual for a while, while Mercy made dinner for the Chimeras that were not casting, and then bullied them into bed. Over the next three days, each of them would spend twenty-four hours casting in two-hour blocks, and Mercy was certain that they would need all the rest they could get.

Out at the valley entrance, Sonya got the word that the ritual had started, and passed it to Manticore. She walked around the Manticore positions, double-checking everything. She had run Hydra since before the link, but suddenly being responsible for all of Manticore and what they did was vastly different.

As she toured the foxholes, she saw a few of the giants come out of the grove, and she went to meet them. Treebreaker and Shadowstalker had the Shamans and the Mages with them, and they all wanted to see the Earthstone. Sonya escorted them to the center of the valley, and took her first look at the Heart of the World. She frowned as she looked at it, looking around for Mercy. "Where are James and Tiffany? I thought they were going to be touching that thing."

Mercy looked at the stone, and then at Sonya. "They are, or so Chimera tells me. When they touched it, they just disappeared, but Chimera says they're still right here, and since none of them are showing signs of Linkshock, I'll have to take their word for that."

Sonya nodded in understanding. If any members of a link got too far apart, or something happened to one of them, the other members of that link would be affected. Sonya introduced Mercy, Jerrick, and May-ling to the giants. The giants stared at the Earthstone for a few minutes and then had to leave to start their own ritual.

The next twenty-four hours passed slowly, but without incident. Mercy, Sonya and May-ling met as the first day of the ritual passed. Sonya looked at Mercy, seeing the signs of very little sleep. "How is the ritual going?"

"They're doing well so far," Mercy said, "but the last day will be the problem. Four hours is simply not enough time to recover completely, and they're beginning to show signs of fatigue." Each of the Chimeras was casting for two hours, and then resting for four hours, while the other two pairs did their casting. Mercy continued, "Emma and Hangeld aren't as strong as the others, and if they start having problems, we'll have to pull them out, which will only increase the strain on the others. If it gets too bad, we may have to use May-ling, pairing her with Rose so they can use their Twinlink to cast."

Sonya went back to the Manticores and turned them over to Daniel while she got some sleep. The rest of Manticore was sleeping in shifts, with one person in four up at all times. The two QRF teams were still running patrols, and as dawn broke on the second day, Sonya switched them out with the teams at the northern edge of the valley, to keep the mission from becoming too routine.

Sonya was beginning to relax, about ten in the morning of the second day, when her ring sounded. "Hydra one, this is Scout one. We have a group of giants inbound your location. There are twenty-six of them, with unknown Clans symbols and they are heavily armed."

Sonya swore to herself. "I should have known better," she muttered. She got a verbal description of the Clan symbols from the scout, and recalled them to camp. She went looking for Alexander with a puzzled frown on her face. She told him about the new giants, and described the Clan markings. "I don't know those markings," she said, "unless they are the markings of Shadowstalker and Treebreaker's new Clan."

Alexander admitted he'd never seen these markings either, and the two borderers went to the grove where the Giant were performing the ceremony. They asked to speak to Treebreaker, as his Clan owned this area, and when he arrived, they told him about the new giants and the Clan markings.

Treebreaker thought for a few minutes, and shook his head. "I know of no Clan that uses or ever used those markings. They are strong markings, naming the Clan the Firestarters." He frowned, looking at Sonya. "That is not a Clan I know. What are your intentions toward these people?"

"I plan," Sonya said, "to keep them out of this valley until all the rituals are done, since they are not guests at our rituals. If I can do that without bloodshed, I will."

Treebreaker looked at her. "And if you cannot keep them out of the Valley of the Union without bloodshed?"

Sonya stared at him. "Then I will unleash these friends of mine, to create songs that will long be remembered." She grinned mirthlessly. "I am asking if you would like to watch. This is your land."

Treebreaker shook his head. "I cannot. The ritual proceeds apace, and I must be there for all the rest of it. I will send you another in my place."

Sonya nodded. "Of course. I believe you are wise enough to send one who can observe without interfering."

Treebreaker smiled faintly as he was politely asked to send a giant that would stay quiet and out of the way during the fighting. The two of them finished their agreement, and Treebreaker headed back to the grove.

Sonya reached with the link, _"Daniel, I need you to go to the grove and meet a giant. I don't know which one, but bring him to me, and I'll find a place for him to observe from."_

She acknowledged his reply as she flew back to the valley entrance and looked around. "QRF, I need you to join me at point Alpha, soonest." Sonya continued to examine the terrain as she waited for the QRF, which was currently Dragon and Griffon. When they arrived, she explained what she wanted them to do.

When she was done and they had left, she felt a familiar presence. _"Sonya, I have the giant observer," _said Daniel.

Sonya turned to see Daniel being dwarfed by possibly the biggest giant Sonya had ever seen. She looked up and read the honors on his leathers. Sonya blinked, and read them again. This giant was a Warleader, veteran of more than fifty battles, with more combat honors than Sonya had seen on any one person ever. She bowed to him. "I am Hydra, of the Moondancer Clan, and it would add luster to my name to know you."

The giant stared at her for a minute. "Shadowstalker said that you were young, but I did not know that the Rangers were recruiting children these days."

Sonya blinked, shocked by his insult, until she saw a familiar gleam in his eye. Her Godfather often had the same look, when he was teasing her, or trying to get her upset about nothing. "They had to," she said earnestly, "since the older fighters are getting senile."

The giant smiled at Sonya. "I like you. Your Godfather was right, you'll be a song to remember."

Sonya nodded, and made a mental note to question her Godfather about who else he had been talking to about her. She took the giant over to the position she chosen for him and left him there. It wasn't until she was calling the rest of the Manticores that she realized she hadn't even gotten his name. "Alpha point units, when the OPFOR gets here, I want them all in the open before we do anything. I will open the fighting, and I want magic only unless you have to use the Muggle weapons. Remember the ROE, people, and take care of yourself and each other."

Sonya went back to her position and spent the next few minutes reviewing her plans. She didn't want to start a fight if she could help it, but she also was not going to let a single Manticore be hurt if she could help it. All she could do now was wait and see how the giants that were coming acted.

She didn't have to wait long as the sounds of the giants walking through the forest soon heralded their approach. The first giant stepped out of the woods, and Sonya made her mind up on the spot. The giant already had his sword in his hands, and he was looking around. Sonya was glad her people were all under invisibility and silencing spells, because the posture and body language of this giant said he was looking for a fight.

He started up the valley and Sonya raised her ring again. "On my command, we're starting the song." Sonya was getting excited, and slipped into the Borderer talk she had been raised with. "May your songs be long."

Sonya pointed her wand at the first giant, watching as more giants came out of the woods. An electric tension swept over the Manticores, and despite the fact that the giants couldn't see them, everyone crouched a little lower as Team leaders used the links to assign targets to their teams.

Sonya was waiting for most of the giants to be in range of the spells of Manticore, and took a second to sneak a look at her watch. She rather thought James might like to know that Manticore's first battle would start at 1600, on Midsummer's day. She looked back at the giants, counting them. The scouts had said there were twenty-six of them, and there were that many in sight.

Sonya sighted on the first giant, took a deep breath, and cast Manticore's first combat spell, shouting it out. She was the only person not covered with a silencing spell, since her spell was the signal for the others to start fighting. _"Consto vita liquidus,"_ she chanted, holding her wand on the first giant. Her spell stopped the flow of blood through the giant's neck, acting similarly to the chokehold. Sonya watched as the giant staggered, and released her spell as he started to fall.

Around the giants, curses and hexes flew, as twenty-four Manticores opened up from hiding. Stunning spells, impedimenta, and freezing charms crossed the space. The giants were caught flat-footed, and almost a third of them were down before they could react. Manticore was coordinating their attacks, and with every team responsible for a particular area, there was very little confusion about where anyone was supposed to be firing. The team leaders had designated two of their people to cast together, and with two or more people ganging up on one giant, they were falling quickly.

Sonya watched her target fall, and looked around for another one, only to find that all the giants were down. Acting on a reflex drilled into her by years of training, she raised her ring. "Team leaders, status report." She already knew that Hydra was fine of course, and she smiled as the other three team leaders reported that their teams were unharmed as well. She looked at her watch and was surprised to find that only four minutes had passed.

She looked at the giants again, and told the QRF teams to secure them. She went to check on her guest, dropping the invisibility spells on them both. "A most impressive display," he rumbled, looking over at where the Manticores were securing the captured giants with more rope than even a giant could break.

"Sonya," came the voice of Ron Stone, "You and your friend may want to come over here and look at this."

Sonya looked at the large giant. "Before we do that, it would be easier if I knew your name."

"I am known as Longstrider, Hydra. May our songs be in harmony." The two of them walked over to where Ron stood over a giant.

"Look at these Clan Markings," Ron said, "they're different than the others."

"I know this woman," said Longstrider in surprise. "She is of the Stonebender Clan, and is called Iceheart."

Sonya frowned. "Why is she here, with these others?"

"That, I do not know. What are you intentions for the captured prizes?" asked Longstrider.

Sonya thought about that for a minute. When a giant captured a giant, the usual thing was to either kill them outright, or ransom them back to their Clan. Manticore didn't have the resources to keep the prisoners, but killing them while they lay helpless was out of the question entirely. As she thought about it, the female at their feet began to wake up. She struggled silently with her bonds, but the ropes held.

"Longstrider, would you ask your Clanswoman what this is all about?" Sonya switched the two QRF teams with the two teams at the far end of the valley, and made sure everyone went back to the interrupted security plan, with one person in two up.

Longstrider was questioning the female in the giant language, and Sonya waited patiently, knowing it was not good by the malice in the female's voice. Longstrider finally turned to Sonya. "This one is obsessed with Treebreaker, and with leading the new Clan at his side. She left the clan after the Sitka, and in her wanderings, she found these beings. They offered her another path to power. She planned to stop the ceremony and killing Shadowstalker. They would have killed Treebreaker as well, unless he agreed to marry Iceheart and accept these others into the new Clan."

Sonya nodded thoughtfully, watching the female struggle with her bonds. "This one," she said, indicating Iceheart, "is not mine to deal with. She is of your clan, and offers violence to her Clan leaders. By law she is Treebreaker's meat."

Longstrider nodded and said he would send a couple of the giants to collect Iceheart. "I am certain that Treebreaker and Shadowstalker will want to question her."

Sonya made arraignments for Jerrick to watch the questioning of Iceheart while she tried to figure out what she was going to do with the giants they had captured. She remembered something Harry had done when the Voldemort War had started to turn against Voldemort and smiled. A couple of tweaks, and it would work here as well.

Sonya watched as Longstrider returned with two giants, who took Iceheart away. Jerrick had come down to Alpha point while Longstrider was getting the giants and he went with them. Sonya looked at Longstrider. "I would ask for a favor, and if we can come to acceptable terms, these beings will be yours, but only for ransoming back to their own."

Longstrider looked at her. "I will listen, but Treebreaker will make the decision."

Sonya nodded, having expected no less. "I will give you these beings for ransom, if you make sure that the song of Manticore's first battle is spread far and wide." Sonya grinned. "I would have everyone know that in our first battle, we captured all of the enemy, without even a lose or injury on our side."

Longstrider scratched his chin, looking out at the giants. "You ask for very little. Ransom could mean many things, including future favors."

Sonya gestured at the giants lying there. "These beings will not stop struggling, as long as they are in the hands of humans, but they know that you will ransom them properly, with minor loss of honor. I do not have the resources to guard them, but you do. I ask that all know of our feat is all."

Longstrider looked down at her. "And their equipment? Is that for us as well?"

Sonya was about to say yes, when she saw the gleam in Longstrider's eyes. She stopped and thought. Longstrider nudged her memory a little. "You have done everything you should, if you're not a Warleader."

Sonya frowned. She'd never really paid that much attention to the songs of the Warleaders, figuring it would be many years before she earned that title. She looked at the giants again, seeing the one that she had opened the battle with, the first one to fall. She felt a glow of pride, in herself and the Manticores, and that was when she remembered what she had to do.

"I need a memento, something to mark this occasion." Sonya stood up. "I know what I want, too." She crossed over to the first giant, and examined him. She looked at the nearly three-meter length of his sword and nodded. It was a well-made sword, and would be a suitable trophy for Manticore.

Longstrider stood beside her. "Is that your trophy, or your people's?"

Sonya looked up puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Longstrider bent down and unhooked a human sized sword that the giant was using for a dagger. "Three times in your life will you be expected to take a trophy, Warleader. After your first battle as Warleader, after your first victory as Warleader, and one other, which we will not speak of now. I believe you have met both of those conditions today." He handed Sonya the weapon he'd finished taking from the giant. "Once, long ago, this was the weapon of the Ranger called Cutter."

Sonya cradled the sword in her arms, staring at it with a touch of awe. Patrick "Cutter" O'Neill was a Ranger legend. He had been the finest fighter ever to walk the Borders, having been defeated only in his one hundred and eightieth single combat, at the age of sixty-two. "I believe that would be a suitable trophy for you, Hydra. Few are the Warleaders that have such opening songs, and most of them went on to have long songs."

Sonya transfigured the giant's sheathe into a baldric, and slipped the sword into it. She put the sword on, and looked at Longstrider. "This sword will be Manticore's trophy, and I shall choose another."

Longstrider looked at her. "Why then do you put it on?"

Sonya blushed, looking at the ground. "Cutter's sword does not deserve to be carried in a sack, which is what the Phoenix team would do with it, if I gave it to them. They don't understand about swords."

As Sonya finished speaking, she realized that the sword and baldric she had put on were glowing a faint blue and shrinking to fit her tightly. She tried to drop it, but couldn't reach the buckle now.

"I believe," Longstrider said with a smile, "that you might find it a little harder to put that sword down that it was to pick up."

Sonya closed her eyes, having already figured out what she'd done. "Please tell me, that this is not one of the bloody Keep-me swords."

Alexander and Martin had been searching nearby bodies, and Alexander looked up at Sonya's slightly louder comment. He came over and looked at the sword she was still trying to remove. Sonya got the sword and baldric off, and looked at it. The two borderers examined the sword, and Blade looked at Sonya. "When we get back to Hogwarts, I'll start teaching you to use Savignon."

Sonya closed her eyes. "I don't want to know how to use it, I want to know how to get rid of it," she said, staring at Professor Evans.

He shrugged. "Your defeat by combat, the end of your song, or the destruction of Savignon are the only ways anyone has ever found to free someone from one of Fire Worker's swords."

Sonya sighed and rubbed her eyes, only to freeze at Blade's next comment. "Since you cannot be Challenged until you are an adult, I won't let you destroy that sword, and I don't think you're willing to end your song, you will be getting lessons in how to use it, because if you think I'm going to let you walk around with a weapon you don't know how to use for two years, you're completely insane."

Sonya looked at her new sword, and sighed. It looked as though she was going to have a companion for a while at least. This was going to complicate her life no end. Borderers would understand about a sword, but somehow Sonya didn't think the rest of the Wizard world would find it appropriate for a fifteen-year-old girl to be walking around with a sword over her shoulder.

Longstrider gave Sonya a half-bow. "It is a fine weapon, Hydra. May your songs be long and glorious." He went to talk to Treebreaker about her plan for the prisoners, and Sonya levitated the giant sword that she had chosen for Manticore, starting toward the Phoenix positions.

At Phoenix's position, she found May-ling and explained what she'd done. May-ling had been cursed for over two thousand years and knew more about curses than anyone else.

May-ling examined the sword for barely fifteen minutes. "I'm sorry Sonya," she said sympathetically, "but Professor Evans was correct. The only way you can get rid of this sword now are to lose in Challenge, die, or destroy the sword. I will check again when we get back to Hogwarts, but there is nothing anyone can do right now." Sonya frowned but nodded, and headed over to the Heart of the World to talk to Mercy.

Mercy finished preparing for the next shift change over and Sonya got a report on the Chimeras casting the spell. Most of them had simply laid down on their sleeping bags, too tired to bother crawling inside, and Emma wasn't even on hers, having fallen asleep eating after her last shift. Mercy was worried. "We may have to use May-ling and Rose if we lose too many of the Chimeras. Emma is not going to make it the full seventy-two hours, and I don't think Hangeld or Lisa will either. We might have to pair Adam with Melissa and Rose with May-ling for the last part of tomorrow."

Sonya sighed. "Right. You're in charge, Mercy. We trust you to get them through this." Sonya was about to say something else when she was called back to Alpha point.

She returned to find Longstrider and the guards they'd brought waiting for her. "Treebreaker says that we will take this beings off of your hands, and spread the tale of Hydra and the Manticores far and wide. He does not believe that the price is fair though, and asks if you will accept this as the rest of our debt for these beings." Longstrider handed her a small pouch, made even smaller by his hands.

Sonya opened the pouch and looked inside. She gasped, and drew out the jewel inside. It was a ruby, delicately carved in the shape of a half opened Briar Rose, and it was exquisite. It was also the size of Sonya's fist. She stared at it for a minute, and tucked it carefully back in the bag. "This will be more than acceptable," she said.

She detailed the QRF to help the giants move the prisoners, and went back to Phoenix's position. Finding Mercy, she handed her the pouch. "Hold on to this for Manticore, would you please?" Mercy took it and slipped it into her cargo pocket without a word. They talked a few minutes more, and when Sonya was satisfied that the Manticores were as squared away as they could be, she turned control over to Daniel Creevey and found her bed.

Sonya got a couple of hours sleep and woke with Savignon cradled in her arms. She sighed and got up. Putting her gear back on, she told Daniel that she was awake again, and started eating.

She looked up as someone approached. Jerrick sat down beside her and she looked at him while she finished the bite in her mouth. Jerrick was pale, and had a strange look in his eyes. Sonya swallowed and looked at him. "I think you are troubled," she said quietly.

Jerrick looked back at the Grove where the giants were. "I have just spent three hours watching your friends question Iceheart," he said slowly, and looked at Sonya. "The methods they use are very direct and not at all like ours."

Sonya stared into space, remembering some of the darker songs she'd heard over the years. "Is she still alive?"

Jerrick turned from his study of the Grove. "Of course." He watched her for a minute. "You were truly surprised about that," he asked, "why?"

Sonya shrugged, looking out over Alpha point. "She tried to disrupt a Bonding, and she betrayed her clan. The giant punishment for one is having your name stripped from you, and for the other the punishment is the end of her song." Sonya shrugged. "Given those facts and the fact that the giants have far fewer rules about questioning prisoners, I guess I am surprised that her song continues."

Jerrick shook his head. "Every time I think I have you Borderers figured out, I run into something like this, and you become alien again," he complained.

Sonya patted his hand. "It could be worse you know. Wait until you met a Tribesman." She let go of his hand and picked up the last of her rations. "Did you find out anything interesting?"

Jerrick pulled out his notebook as Sonya picked up the last of her ration bars. "I don't know how much of this you know, so bear with me while I fill in some background."

He looked at his notes for a minute and then nodded. "Iceheart desired both the Clan leadership and Treebreaker. She failed to get both, and left the Clan. In her wanderings, she found the Firestarter Clan." Jerrick looked up from his notes. "According to Iceheart, the Firestarters are 'nameless ones' and humans who have no name among humans."

Sonya frowned. To be nameless among the giants meant that you had committed a crime so bad that you were banished from the Clan lands. Nameless humans were Wizards that were running from the law in civilized lands, which meant there was an entire Clan out there somewhere that was made up of criminals from both sides of the Border.

Jerrick cleared his throat and Sonya looked at him. His eyes were cold and worried at the same time. "Also according to her, the Clan was started by 'Snakemen' that were in the Giantlands at the end of the Voldemort War."

Sonya froze as she absorbed what Jerrick had just said. Snakemen was the giant name for Death Eaters. She listened to Jerrick continue with half her attention while she thought about this. "They have been quietly building their numbers and a support base in the northern lands. This was going to be their first big mission since the Voldemort War."

Sonya grinned savagely. "And we made it fail. Good."

Jerrick coughed. "Not yet we haven't," he said quietly.

Sonya looked at him, reading his face, and shivered as the chill of a sudden premonition ran down her spine. "Spill the bad news," she demanded.

"Iceheart and the group we captured were an advance party. Their job was to disrupt the ceremony and keep the other giants here until the main body could get here. They could then overwhelm the party with numbers. Iceheart promised them that if they helped her get Treebreaker and the Clan leadership, she would accept them into the new Clan."

Sonya no longer cared about Iceheart's obsession. "How many giants are coming?" she demanded hoarsely.

Jerrick checked his notes. "Iceheart claims that ten hands of giants and humans are coming, and should be here sometime tomorrow."

Sonya's mind refused to accept what she was hearing for a minute. "Are you telling me that we have nameless giants and Death Eaters coming here? A force one hundred strong?"

Jerrick nodded. "Oh, shit," Sonya said, closing her eyes.

Jerrick smiled mirthlessly. "My thoughts exactly."

Sonya sat there, only vaguely aware of Hydra approaching, drawn by her emotions. Sonya had thirty-six combat ready troops, but twelve of them had to cover the other end of the valley. She also had Phoenix, but they were not as well trained and they had to guard the Heart of the World and the Ceremony going on there. She did have seven Rangers and that was good, but even with them she had just thirty-one effective fighters, against one hundred giants and Death Eaters.

Sonya thought for just a second about disrupting the ritual, and bit her lip. She couldn't do that to James and Tiffany. Sonya looked up to find Hydra gathered around her. They could feel her emotional distress, and she looked at them. She opened the link and poured the story down it.

Hydra blinked, and she felt their mingled shockfearworry as they heard what was coming. They looked at each other, thinking about it, and then they turned back to Sonya. It was her turn to blink as they shunted those emotions away and looked at her. _"What are we going to do?"_

Sonya leaned on her team for a second, and then got up, treasuring their faith in her. _"Daniel, go get Blade. Anari, get me all the team leaders except Mercy." _Aloud, she asked Jerrick to find out if Treebreaker or Shadowstalker was free for a few minutes.

When they had left on their errands, Sonya called Mercy. "Phoenix one, this is Hydra one."

Mercy's voice came back over the ring. "Hydra one, this is Phoenix one."

"Is Chimera three able to use her sight?" Sonya waited, praying that Rose wasn't too tired to help here.

"Hydra one, negative. The Heart of the World is scrambling all the magic in this part of the valley, including her sight."

Sonya frowned, but thanked Mercy and dug out her map. She was very worried about the humans with the Firestarters. They were smaller and more agile, with a greater range of magic than the Elemental magic of the giants, and if they were Death Eaters, or Death Eater trained, they would use the Unforgivables as quickly as they would any other curse.

She frowned suddenly. "Scout one, this is Hydra one."

"Hydra one this is Scout one."

"Scout one, be advised we have OPFOR inbound this location. OPFOR will be Firestarter giant with humans. Manticore is going to Omega status. You may lock and load your weapons. The OPFOR is to be treated as hostile at this time."

Michael Weasley, of the Griffon team was Scout one right now, and he took a minute to answer. "Roger that, Hydra one. ETA of incoming OPFOR?"

"Scout one, ETA is unknown at this time. Best estimate is some time between now and sundown tomorrow. OPFOR will number approximately one hundred troops. I say again, one-zero-zero enemy. Do not engage them, shadow and report only."

Scout one was quiet long enough that Sonya was about to send her instructions again. "Hydra one, with all due respect to you, that last was the single most unnecessary order I've ever been given."

Sonya blushed as she realized she'd just told a three-person scout team not to attack one hundred enemy troops. "Scout one, be advised that the humans may be Death Eaters or Death Eater trained."

Michael's voice was wryly sarcastic. "Hydra one, do you have any other good news for us? Scout one out."

Sonya looked up as a giant approached. Shadowstalker looked at the Manticores, reading the tension growing there. "You wished to speak to me," she said simply.

Sonya looked around. All the people she had asked for were here, and she took a deep breath before facing them. She gave all of them a synopsis of the situation and then looked at them, waiting for the shock to fade.

When the group was silent, she faced them. "It is my decision to hold our positions and defend the entire valley. I am aware that we could pull back and defend only the Heart of the World, but there are two major problems with that. First, the valley is narrow enough that we would be giving the enemy the high ground, and I don't think we can stop an avalanche yet."

Sonya waited while the other looked up at the steep valley walls. A couple of them paled as they thought about what could be done from there. "We have the defenses in place already, and they are the best we could do. I see no reason to leave them now." Nobody said anything, although she though about half of them would like to. "This is what we're going to do." Sonya laid out the map with the team positions on it, and the humans crowded around. "Sphinx and Hydra will stay where they are, the QRF will move up to here, and Unicorn and Pegasus will remain at the far end of the valley, both to protect our rear and to make sure that if things go south, we have some way to get out of here."

Sonya ignored the looks that comment received. She had to plan for anything that could happen, not just what she wanted to have happen. "Jerrick, I want your snipers. Put them here and here. They may not fire below this angle here, as the positions are down there."

Jerrick looked at the map, estimating where Sonya wanted his people. He nodded. High on the hill above each of the teams already in place, they would have good fields of fire and if things did go south as Sonya called it, they would have a good chance of getting away.

Sonya finished her instructions and looked around at the quiet group. "People, this is not a war game, nor will your people get back up if their song ends out here. The humans coming here tomorrow are Death Eaters, or trained by them. That means they could use the Unforgivables as quickly as any other curse, and they don't mind killing. The giants coming with them are of the same type, and I would rather not lose any of you. Nobody we face tomorrow has the slightest inclination to fight fair, so stay alert people, and stay alive."

Sonya sent them off to brief their teams, after asking Alexander to stay behind. She looked at him. "Blade, if the Rangers would fill in these holes between Hydra and Sphinx I would appreciate it."

Professor Evans examined the map, and looked up at Sonya. "What about going out on a hit and run?"

Sonya shook her head. "I don't want them to know we're here until the Claymores go off."

Alexander Evans blinked, looking out at Alpha point. He was the only person in Manticore that had ever seen a Claymore used, and he was not looking forward to seeing it again. He looked at Sonya. "Your song has a strong opening," he said, slipping into the Borderer dialect. "Too strong, perhaps?"

Sonya looked out at the ground that would be covered in blood tomorrow, of either her people, or the giants, or both and shook her head slowly. "I don't have to end all their songs, I just need to keep them out of the valley. I hope that a big enough surprise will make them leave."

Alexander nodded, and they examined the map for a minute. He tapped the sniper markings on the map. "It is a good plan, but I would move these people over here."

Sonya looked at the map and frowned. "Why?"

"Remember, this is only a basic representation of the area," he said, tracing a line along one section of the map. "Think about the actual ground out there."

Sonya thought about it for a minute, visualizing the ground from Hydra's positions. She opened her eyes. "That little ravine," she said, "the one that runs along the side of the valley. We ignored it when we set up, because it's too small for a giant to use."

"Correct, but now the enemy has changed, and they can use it."

Sonya nodded. "Blade, would you look over our positions please, and make sure we didn't miss anything else like that?"

Alexander tossed her a salute and moved off. Sonya looked at Shadowstalker. "I apologize for making you wait, but I had to make sure I knew what we would be doing before I talked to you."

Shadowstalker waved that off. "Earlier, you said there were two reasons that you were going to defend the entire valley, but you didn't tell them what the second reason was. Might I know what it is?"

Sonya shrugged. "I didn't say anything because few of them understand the Borders or our customs. Your mate has allowed us to stay in an area where he could have made us leave, or just killed us outright. To repay that debt by allowing this to happen without doing anything would be completely wrong."

Shadowstalker smiled gently. "So you would be a Defender?"

Sonya blinked, and thought about what she'd done. She winced and looked at Shadowstalker. "I don't suppose I can claim ignorance, can I?"

Shadowstalker smiled. "No, not you. From some of these others I would accept that, but not from you. You have placed a debt on us that we must repay. Tomorrow though, is not the time."

Sonya nodded, following the giantess' logic. "I have too many who are not of the Borders, and cannot tell one giant from another. I was going to ask you to keep all your people in the grove tomorrow."

Shadowstalker smiled faintly. "We had wondered about that, since we understood what Iceheart was saying. We had planned to stay close to the grove, but Treebreaker would have a witness to the battles. May Longstrider join you again?"

Sonya smiled. "Only if he can stay in the place we assign him."

"I will insure that he knows that you lead here," Shadowstalker said with a smile, "and I will remind him that few Rangers or Borderers walk this path, and that the young of every race tend to be quicker with their reactions than their thoughts."

"If that does not keep him still," Sonya said with a matching smile, "then it is his song, and nothing we can do will stop him."

Sonya looked at the giantess. "Your willingness to allow us to use the Earthstone, and to stay here while you hold your ceremonies is puzzling me. Many and firm are the songs that say the Stonebenders hold to tradition, and allow no humans here, and yet, Manticore stands here."

Shadowstalker looked toward the grove in a gesture Sonya knew well, and she waited while Shadowstalker and Treebreaker talked. Shadowstalker finally looked at Sonya. "My mate says to tell you that we will answer your question, if you will tell us why so many humans have mind links."

Sonya frowned, and thought about it. "My leader has not given me permission to walk this path with anyone he doesn't know. I could ask you if you have access to human books."

Shadowstalker cocked her head and admitted that they might read a book or two. Sonya grinned at her. "Should you find a book called "Soulbonds Throughout History", you should read it. There is a fascinating story in it about a man named Elric Evans, who just happens to be Moondancer's ancestor." Sonya was watching the Manticores and missed the odd look Shadowstalker gave her. "The song is strange, but relevant to now, and our leader's team has eight people."

The Giantess frowned as she thought about what Sonya had said. "I will look into this," she said finally, "but we would ask one more question. This path you walk, is it a path that might affect our Clans?"

Sonya glanced at Shadowstalker and looked into the distance as she thought about what the Prophecy would mean. She felt the giant waiting patiently, and met Shadowstalker's troubled gaze with one of her own. "This path will almost certainly involve you. If the Singer of Fate turns his eyes from us, it could lead to the Last Song."

The Last Song was a giant term for the end of the world, where all the forces of good and evil would rise and fight one last time, to decide the final fate of every being that had ever walked the earth. Sonya wasn't sure she believed it, but it was enough that the giants did believe it.

Shadowstalker and Sonya stood in silence for a few minutes, both of them occupied with their own thoughts. "Two years ago, after the Sitka, Treebreaker and I shared a dream." Shadowstalker's voice was quiet, almost pensive. "We would not have thought anything about it, for we often share dreams since the Bonding, but this one had two humans in it. They came to us, and told us that if we befriended the Lightning marked one and his family, we would create long songs of honor for our Clan."

Shadowstalker looked at Sonya. "One of those humans was a man who looks much like Moondancer, with the same hair and eyes. The other was a woman, nearly as tall as the man, and blonde."

Sonya frowned, thinking about it. "I know of no one living this song that matches those descriptions."

Shadowstalker raised an eyebrow as she smiled softly. "Living this song? I think not. They gave us names, not having the Borderer ways. He was Elric and she was Cassandra. I believe you said Moondancer's ancestor was named Elric?"

Sonya stared at the giant as a chill ran down her spine. "I do know those names, but the ones they belonged to ended their songs eight centuries ago."

Shadowstalker's smile turned wry. "Ended their songs, or their mortal songs?"

Sonya shivered as she thought about the power that could see far enough into the future to set this meeting up, and sighed. "Moondancer once said that he would like to hit the singer of this song we live. I begin to understand how he feels."

Shadowstalker looked at Sonya for a long time. "The Singer of Fate does not that you like his songs, merely that you live them to the best of your ability."

Sonya and Shadowstalker talked for a few more minutes, until Daniel told Sonya that Alexander was looking for her. Sonya said goodbye to Shadowstalker and headed for alpha point. Sonya and Alexander spent an hour discussing tactics for when the giants arrived, and then Sonya returned to her team.

The day passed slowly as the tension grew among the Manticores, and Sonya sent them to a smaller guard, allowing more of them to rest at once. She wanted everyone as fresh as possible when the giants did show up.

Around sundown, she passed command to Daniel and rolled up in her bedroll. She slept until 0200, when Daniel woke her. He grinned at her as she sat up, rubbing sleep from her eyes. _"Jerrick's going to be jealous."_

Sonya blinked fuzzily, and followed his eyes. When she had gone to bed, she had placed her equipment at the head of the bed, so that she could find it easily if something happened. Sometime during her sleep, Savignon had moved, ending up tangled up with her in her blankets. Sonya closed her eyes. _"Daniel, go away before I beat you."_

Daniel grinned again, about to say something else when Sonya pinned him with a look. _"Me. You. Big Stick." _Daniel raised his hands in surrender and walked away, but Sonya could feel her team's amusement.

She stood up and put her gear on thinking about what they faced this day. She made sure her shields were tight and gave in for a minute to the worries and doubts that filled her mind. Warleaders didn't just grow on trees, they were trained after years of battles and war, and she had been in just one battle. They were expecting her to lead this fight, and she'd never even drawn blood in battle. That led her to a memory she shook off quickly. To avoid thinking about it she headed for Chimera's position.

She got to the fire that May-ling was keeping soup on and helped herself to a bowl while she listened to Mercy and May-ling discussing an herbal tea to help restore the Chimeras between castings. She waited until they finished and May-ling had started brewing the herbs they had decided on before speaking. "Why are you using herbals? Why not just give them a "Pepper-Up" potion?"

Mercy grimaced. "The Heart of the World is doing strange things to magic in its vicinity, and it's getting worse as thehours pass. I would hate to have something happen to them because of a warped potion."

Sonya cast a glance over her shoulder at the Earthstone. She could feel the magic in it, and now that Mercy brought it to her attention, it did seem to be fluctuating somehow.

She turned back to the others. "How are they doing?"

Mercy sighed. "Emma is not going to make it. She may do one, possibly two more turns, and then we're going to have to change the schedule around, to pair May-ling with Rose, because Hangeld and Lisa will not be far behind her. Personally, I wish Emma and Hangeld were the two touching the Heart of the World, because James and Tiffany are just a bit stronger, and far more stubborn."

Sonya grinned at Mercy. "Yes, but it is that stubbornness that is helping them where ever they are. After all, James is the only person I know who is as stubborn as a rock."

Mercy giggled, and May-ling looked up from the herbs she was crushing. "That's my brother you're talking about," she said with a mock frown, that quickly changed to a smile, "even if I agree with you."

"What about the valley?"Mercy asked quietly, watching Sonya. May-ling looked up as well, pausing in her task.

Sonya bit her lip. "I doubt Chimera will be able to do anything, so make sure that Phoenix is ready to go as soon as the ritual ends, even if you have to litter-carry Chimera."

Mercy nodded. "Jerrick is taking care of that. I am more worried about the giants coming. What are the chances they will break through the alpha point?"

Mercy and May-ling were both staring at Sonya, waiting for her answer. Sonya looked at them and shrugged. "I cannot say, without know how good they are, or how good their leader is. Tomorrow's songs will be intense, and I cannot say how they will end. I will promise this; whatever happens, we will do our best to insure that your perimeter holds until the ceremony is over and you two can get Chimera out."

Mercy blinked, rebellion flashing across her face. "We're not leaving."

Sonya cut her off sharply. "Yes, you will. Chimera will be helpless tomorrow, from everything you are saying, and they have to get out alive, no matter what it costs the rest of us."

May-ling sighed, her eyes showing her true age as she spoke up. "Sonya's right, Mercy. The rest of us are expendable, as long as they get away."

Mercy frowned and bit her lip. "I do not have to be the one to tell James that we left anyone behind."

The three girls sat in silence, considering the odds that Manticore faced. Mercy sighed. "Nothing personal, Sonya, but I wish we had Chimera for this."

Sonya looked at her. "So do I," she said quietly.

Sonya stood up and looked at her friends. "Take care of yourselves and Chimera," she said as she left.

Sonya was worrying again as she returned to the perimeter and didn't see the person standing under a tree waiting for her until the Ranger spoke. "Hello, Hydra."

Sonya jumped, until recognition caught up with reflexes, and she relaxed. "Hello, Leafstar. You startled me."

The short woman that stepped out from under the tree grinned at Sonya. "An elephant could have startled you just them, Hydra. Would you care to tell me about it?"

Sonya frowned. "I am afraid of what comes this day."

Leafstar nodded. "And you should be. Anyone that is not afraid is a fool, and Moondancer doesn't seem the type to leave his people in the hands of a fool."

"I am fifteen today, two years from adulthood, and leading half-trained children into battle. Not just any battle either, oh no, we have to be outnumbered three to one." She laughed bitterly as the worries she'd been hiding spilled out. "I have neither the experience or the training to fight a battle like this, where many will die." Sonya stopped, biting her lip as she struggled to relax.

Leafstar stepped up close to Sonya and touched the Manticore symbol on her uniform. "You have the training." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a braided leather strip. Sonya recognized her own braid that she wore on her clothes at home. Leafstar braided it into the collar and of the Manticore uniform, passing the other end under her arm and braiding it into itself.

When she was done, she stepped back and reached out. Touching the braid, she spoke again. "You have a fine lineage, training, and history in this place. You have earned the knot of a battle won, and of one who led a battle won." Leafstar looked at Sonya. "You have the trust of those who follow you, Ranger and Manticore alike, and your first battle was a victory."

Leafstar looked at Sonya. "You can feel the emotions of your team. Are they afraid?"

Sonya concentrated for a minute. "Yes."

Leafstar nodded. "I thought they would be, for they are not fools either. Now, are they afraid of losing with you leading them, or of disappointing you?"

"I don't know."

Leafstar stepped back into the shadows of the tree. "Maybe you should talk to them," came the ranger's disembodied voice. "Until you do, know that the Rangers will follow you, Warleader."

Sonya stood there for a few minutes, thinking and fingering the braided leather on her uniform. She made a decision as the sun crested the hills on Manticore's last day in the Valley of the Union. _"Hydra,"_ she sent, _"I would talk to you."_

Hydra popped up almost instantly, coming out of a small fold in the ground. Sonya blinked, but before she could say anything, Daniel spoke up. _"The Rangers have our positions, as_ _Leafstar said you would need us."_

Hydra crowded around Sonya, and opened all their links to her, holding nothing back. She felt their emotions, the faith and loyalty, and in a couple of cases, love. They crowded around, all of them trying to hug her at once. Sonya stood there, lost in the images and emotions.

Sometime later, Hydra pulled back, and Sonya could finally reach up and wipe wet cheeks and eyes. _"You people need to get back to work."_

Hydra turned, heading for their positions, feeling the emotions that Sonya was expressing, and ignoring the words. They all stopped at her next sending though. _"Thank you, my friends. I will not let you down."_

They turned and looked at the girl with the sword. Anari spoke for them. _"We know that, Hydra. We just had to make sure you knew it."_

Hydra headed back as Sonya watched the sunrise, thinking about her team. She smiled. That had been the finest birthday gift she'd ever gotten.

The day seemed to take forever to pass, with the tension slowly ratcheting up. Around ten, Mercy reported that Emma would not be taking another turn, and that Hangeld would only be doing one more, and then May-ling would take over.

Just before 1300, Sonya jumped as her ring sounded. "Hydra one, this is Scout one."

"Scout one, Hydra one, go ahead."

"Our guests are inroute, roughly twenty klicks out. We are shadowing, and will continue to follow. They are acting strangely. Scout one will call again when we have more details."

Sonya thought about that, and raised the ring to tell the rest of the Manticores what was going on. She waited after she passed the information on. Scout one finally called her. "Hydra one, this is Scout one," Michael Weasley said, and they was a strange note in his voice.

"Go ahead, Scout one," Sonya said, as she looked at her watch. She was trying to estimate how fast the giants were traveling, but the next report drove that idea out of her head.

"Something is hunting the OPFOR. Since the last report, four humans have fallen to arrows, but the giants can't find the shooter. OPFOR is eighty-three giants and one." The ring cut off suddenly, and Sonya stared at it for a second.

Before she could call Scout one, he was back. "Correction, the OPFOR is eighty-three giants. The last human just took an arrow in his head." Sonya frowned, a flickering memory in her head, but she pushed it away to listen to Michael's report. "The giants are moving faster now, we are ten klicks out."

Sonya frowned. "Scout one, break away, and rejoin the main body ASAP."

Sonya told the rest of Manticore that the giants were about forty-five minutes away, and had half of them stand down to eat a quick meal, so that the other half of the group would have time to eat before the giants arrived.

She watched Scout one rejoin their people and when everyone had eaten and were back in their positions, Sonya keyed the ring for a general call to everyone except Chimera. The last thing the casters needed was to be worrying about this.

"All units, this is Hydra one. You all know the plan. Stay alert and stay alive," She took a deep breath and her manner changed, becoming more formal. "Manticore, you may lock and load your weapons."

Across the perimeter, everyone except Sonya cast invisibility and silencing spells on their positions and started to load their weapons. M-4s were loaded with twenty-eight round clips, and M-240Bs had the feed tray opened, and the first round of a belt fed into it. The M-203 gunners opened the tubes to place 40mm grenade shells in place, and then everyone set those weapons down and checked their wands and the pouch of disks that each one had.

Sonya settles into her position and cast the invisibility spell over her position. She would not be covered with the silencing spell, since her first shot would open this fight. She pulled the M-4 off her shoulder and looked at it.

It lacked the grace of a wand, or the workmanship of a sword, being built purely for lethal function. Sonya sighed as she shot the bolt back and checked the chamber for obstructions. She would never tell anyone, but she hated these Muggle weapons, and the mindset they represented. That would not stop her from using them, however. She finished loading her weapon and waited.

Just before 1430, Geri Newson was the first to hear the giants, and soon everyone could hear them. "Manticore, take your weapons off safe, and prepare to fire at my signal," Sonya said, the last verbal command she would give until the battle started.

The giants appeared at the edge of the woods, and Sonya chose her target. She had already chosen her target point, the point she wanted the giants to get to, where most of her side would have effective shots at them. In addition, she wanted as many as possible in the Claymore kill zone as she could get.

An errant thought crossed her mind as she settled in behind her weapon and took aim at the first giant in line. _"Daniel, did Longstrider make it here?"_

Daniel's mind voice was tense and distracted as he concentrated on the giants. _"Yes, he's up the hill by the snipers on our side."_

Sonya thanked Daniel absently as she examined the giant she had chosen as the first one to fall. He was a young giant, without any sort of honors, and Sonya felt a moment's pity for him. He would die without a name, doomed to wander the world as a spirit forever, seeking anyone who knew his name.

She decided there were enough giants in sight and aimed. She took a breath and squeezed the trigger.

_A/N: Chapters will not take as long to get out after this, as Greeneyes has decided that they will only be 5,000 or so words long. (She has reminded me that not everyone reads 300 pages an hour, and might like to be able to read a chapter of Prophecy in less than one sitting.) For those of you that have stuck around, Greeneyes is the main reason this is here. I was trying to finish the entire Giantlands mission in one chapter, and the death scene is kicking my butt. Greeneyes has convinced me to just end the story at certain points, and worry about getting everything I want done first, rather than reaching a point and stopping. Anyway, I have things to do, and hopefully, some of you will review this, so that I know someone is still out there, despite the amount of time this chapter took._

_Raven the obsessed._


	32. Life and Death

_**Life and Death**_

Sonya's shot rang out, and the giant she had fired at stopped. She fired at him again and he fell. Sonya's second shot was lost though, as Anari Achmed of Hydra and Ron Stone of Sphinx triggered the claymores in front of the two teams.

There were twelve of them; totaling sixteen pounds of the finest explosive the US military ever used, and they all went off together. The explosions sent nine thousand steel pellets downrange, and they tore through the giants, ripping unprotected flesh and wreaking havoc among them.

Almost instantly, the air was filled with the sounds of warfare as M-4s chattered, their lighter sounds punctuated by the strange 'bloop' of M-203 40mm grenade launchers. The deeper roar of M-240b machineguns, pushing six hundred and fifty rounds a minute, provided a steel jacketed storm of fire that cut giants down like wheat.

The giants froze under this assault, so completely unlike anything they had ever experienced, and Manticore used those few precious seconds of horror and shock to reduce the odds facing them.

Sonya was aware that her first target had fallen, but her attention was on the targets still standing. She fired again, and reached for a new magazine as the bolt locked to the rear on an empty chamber. She reloaded and brought the weapon back to her cheek, but held her fire. The surviving giants had fled back to the safety of the wood line.

Less than ten giants made it out of the fire zone, and silence fell as Manticore looked at the carnage. That silence was only temporary as the shock wore off, and injured or dying giants made the acquaintance of pain.

Sonya raised her ring, acting out of reflex. "Team leaders, report status." She stared out at the combat zone, stunned by the violence of Muggle weapons. Thirty-six dead, dying, or injured giants lay out there, and less than two minutes had passed.

"Griffon is green."

"Sphinx is green"

"Dragon is green"

The voices on the ring were quiet, as their owners absorbed the scene before them. Manticore had been training to do this very thing, but all the training in the world doesn't really prepare one for massive amounts of violent death.

Sonya sighed in relief. None of the Hydras were hurt, and none of her people had gotten hurt at all. This scene though, might make the giants turn away from here.

"Hydra one, this is Sphinx one. I have movement in the wood line."

Sonya sighed and raised her ring. "All Alpha point troops, this is Hydra one. Do not waste ammunition, but if you have a shot, take it. Hydra one out."

Sonya took a second to look at the devastation in front of her. She'd been trained for this, but nothing you can do in training could ever prepare a person for the first sight of the aftermath of a battle. Most of the giants were still now as blood loss and shock forced them into unconsciousness, and the moans of the few that could still make sounds warred with the smell of blood and cordite.

Manticore watched silently as the giants grew still, waiting for the next assault, but it was nearly thirty minutes later that they found out what the giants had been waiting for. Clouds appeared over the side of the eastern edge of the valley and moved in with unnatural speed.

The cloudbank centered itself over the valley entrance and the temperature fell sharply. Sonya winced. It seemed that the enemy had at least one Elemental Mage on their side. She sent another order over her ring. "Phoenix, we have a problem. Get your people on it."

Jerrick and the Phoenix team were in fallback positions around the Heart of the World and Chimera. Since they would not be in the fighting, Jerrick was responsible for countering any magic the giants used that was not a direct battlefield condition and he called on his first team now.

Teun Redstone, Anna Righter, and Herman Spelling began casting, with Teun starting her spell just before Anna, and Herman just after Anna. Since all three of them were casting the "_summissus ventulus_" spell, the round robin casting allowed Anna to add the power of her spell to Teun's, and Herman boosted both of them. By the time the "gentle breeze" reached the valley entrance, it would be closer to a howling wind.

At the valley entrance, a cold driving rain started to fall, and the Manticores took a second to cast "_Impervius_" before trying to watch for the giants in the sharply reduced visibility.

The giants though, were staying in the woods and the why of that soon became obvious as a lightning bolt struck in the battlefield, and then two more in quick succession.

"Hydra one, this is Griffon one. We need our medic. Griffon four was caught at the edge of the second blast."

Sonya winced, but called the Griffon medic, telling Dorothy McGovern that Brain Crockford needed her, and to come up under the invisibility spell. She called Griffon one back and told him that the medic was enroute.

Sonya frowned as another bolt of lightning struck. Eventually, one of those bolts would hit a Manticore.

"Hydra one, this is Sphinx one. I can stop the lightning, but I need to leave my position. Requesting permission to do so."

Sonya sighed in relief. If Ron Stone, Sphinx one had been in reach right then, she might have kissed him. "Sphinx one, this Hydra one. Permission granted, but be careful."

Sonya was looking toward the Sphinx positions and she saw a blur shoot out of them. It took her a second to realize that the blur was the **"**_Impervius_" spell shunting the rain off Ron as he flew out into the battlefield.

She watched the blur with her heart in her throat, hoping the giants didn't notice Ron. Ron game to the ground near a giant body, one of three that was wearing chain mail as opposed to the normal leather armour. He paused for a few seconds and lifted off again; shooting back the way he'd come just seconds before a lightning bolt struck the body.

Another bolt struck the body, and as the third hit it, Sonya realized that Ron had done something to make the body attract the lightning.

"Sphinx one, this is Hydra one. Good work, although next time I will ask what you are planning. You nearly gave me a heart attack sitting out there."

It was a few seconds before Ron replied, and his surprise was clear. "Hydra one, you could see me?"

Sonya giggled slightly and then looked around, hoping no one had heard her. "Roger that, Sphinx one. The **"**_Impervius_" spell makes a blurry shape when you move around."

"I'm not sure if I wanted to know that, Hydra one."

Sonya sobered as she turned back to study the battlefield again. The giants were still trying to force the lightning bolts away from the body, but whatever Ron had done was holding up. After a dozen more attempts the giants stopped using the lightning.

One of them appeared at the edge of the woods and before Sonya could say anything, one of the Phoenix snipers shot him. The shot was still echoing when a breeze started whipping down the valley from the Phoenix positions.

The breeze rapidly picked up strength, becoming a fierce wind that was strong enough to break small branches off trees and send then skittering along the ground. Manticore ducked lower into their positions, protected from the worst of it.

The wind's effect was just as severe on the cloudbank. In less than a minute, it was being pushed toward the woods, and the giant Mage dispelled it rather than suffer from it themselves.

"Phoenix two, this is Hydra one. Tell your wind makers that they did good work and they can stop now."

Sonya was listening to Jerrick's response when she saw another of the blurs leaving the Griffon positions. "Griffon one, this is Hydra one. Status report."

"Hydra one, this is Griffon one. Griffon is amber. Brian is injured slightly, but our medic says he's still fit for duty."

Sonya frowned, on the verge of ordering Griffon four back to the Phoenix positions, and then she reconsidered. The medic had said that Brian was fit, and it would not be good of her to overrule the medic without cause.

Sonya was checking on her team with the link when the giants started using their next tactic. Arcing up from the woods came a magical fireball that started a fire, despite the wet ground. The response was nearly immediate as the closest Manticore sent a stream of water playing over the fire.

Whoever was using the _"fusio inriguus"_ spell had to play it over the fire for several seconds and the giants were able to see where it was coming from, even if they could not see what was causing it.

Another fireball came out of the woods heading for the point where the water was coming from. Ron Stone, who had that sector of the defense, had anticipated that apparently, as an _"Expelliarmus"_ spell knocked it away.

More fireballs came from the woods and Sphinx was kept busy knowing them away from their positions. Sonya raised her ring. Hydra was too far away to help with that, but they did have other options. "Phoenix Snipers, somewhere along the edge of the woods is a giant. Those fireballs are being aimed. Switch to thermal imaging and find him."

"Roger that, Hydra one."

Sonya frowned at the thought of the thermal sights the snipers were using for their weapons. She reached down and pulled out her own thermal imaging system. She started scanning the battlefield and stopped as she got first one, and then three more spikes in the valley.

Leaving the Thermals on one of the spikes, she called the other teams, and asked for a location on all the Manticores as well as Wolfpack. She didn't think any of her people would be out there, and those spikes looked very large, but she was going to make sure.

Sonya got quick answers back from all the linked teams, but Phoenix and Wolfpack, who had to physically check their people, took slightly longer. She got the last report back and nodded. Whoever those four spikes were, they were not friends.

She was about to start issuing orders to her team when she received a call. "Hydra one, this is sniper one. We have three, I say again, three heat sources in the wood line."

Sonya grinned. This was perfect. "Sniper one, share the data with the others. Assign targets and hold visual. Hydra has some targets in the valley, and I want you to fire when we open up on them."

"Roger that, Hydra one."

Sonya opened the link with Hydra and showed them what she wanted. When they were briefed, she called Ron Stone and assigned his Sphinx team the targeting data.

Muggles had long ago found many ways to fight even when you cannot see your targets and Sonya used two of those techniques now. She chose four TRPs (Target reference points, as everyone remembers from Summer training, right?) boxing the four slowly advancing heat sources in. Then she assigned searching fire grids to each team, using those four TRPs as the boundaries of the grids.

When all of the people were ready, Sonya laid down her rifle for a minute and drew her sidearm. Using the thermals, she aimed at the first spike.

She fired, and fired again, not being able to tell if she'd hit the target or not. Hydra opened fire with her, using the link, and Sphinx was just a split second behind them. Geri and Maynard had the 240b machine guns on full auto as they held the triggers down. The two of them were sweeping the target zone with twelve hundred rounds a minute, and simply covering the entire area with lead. Booming out over the lighter gunfire was the thunderous sound of the fifty caliber rifles the snipers were using.

Sonya waited thirty seconds, counting them off in her head, and then called the cease-fire. She aimed the thermals out toward the target zone and sighed. The spikes were much lower now, and not moving at all. She would keep an eye on them, but she was willing to bet that over the next couple of hours, those spikes would simply fade away.

She checked her watch. It was just after four in the afternoon and Manticore had to hold the giants at least until sunset, around 2214 tonight. This would have been a lot easier if they could have done this on Midwinter's night rather than Midsummer's night. The sun would be setting right about now, and she'd be almost ready to turn this over to James.

Then they could pack up and go as soon as the giants were ready to leave. Sonya laughed at herself. She didn't really think James or the giants would simply walk away from this fight, but she could hope.

There was a break in the battle while Manticore waited to see what the giants would do next. That didn't take long. "Hydra one, this is Sniper one. We have multiple heat sources massing in the woods at the 1100 position."

Sonya looked out at the left side of the valley but didn't see anything, which meant the giants were using invisibility. She smiled as a thought struck her. "Sniper one, this is Hydra one. Share your data with the 203 gunners."

When he was finished with that, Sonya called the 203 gunners. "This is what I want you to do," she said and explained her plan.

A few seconds later, all four gunners fired and started reloading as fast as they could, each of them placing five rounds in the woods around the heat sources before stopping. Sonya was not expecting to kill many giants this way, but it would force them back and make them nervous about how the enemy could see them.

She thought about using a few more fear inducing tactics, but most of them required more people than she had. "Wolfpack one, this is Hydra one."

Alexander couldn't key the rings of course, but he could relay to Martin. "Hydra one, this is Wolfpack one, go ahead."

"Can a few of your Rangers get out the back of the valley, and circle around behind the giants in time to do us any good?"

"Not at this time. The nearest pass is over three hours away."

Sonya considered the careful wording and air of suppressed humour Martin had in his voice. "Wolfpack one, how many of your people are out there, and where are they?"

"We happened to have a four person patrol out, and they seem to have circled around behind the giants."

Sonya grimaced. After this was over, she was going to have words with those two. Not as many as she'd like to have, since she did indeed need those people out there, but she was going to give them hell about not telling her they were out there. "Wolfpack one, contact your scout team. I want them to find whoever is in charge out there and take him out after he launches the next attack. I want their chain of command shattered during the attack."

Sonya sent a warning to Manticore that there were friendlies out in the wood line somewhere, and told them to be sure their targets were giant sized. Sonya did not have to wait long for the next attack.

Six giants burst out of the wood line, running for the valley as fast as they could. Manticore tried, but the giants were moving at high speed, faster than anyone except the Borderers thought they could move.

Two of them fell but the others reached the upper end of the valley entrance, past the ends of the Manticore lines. They came to a sudden stop there, as Blade and Eagle stood before them.

"**_We stand here, and challenge all who would pass."_** Martin's voice, amplified by the _"Sonorus"_ spell, echoed up and down the valley as Sonya swore.

"Alpha point, cease fire." Sonya glared at Martin and Alexander, even though they were to far away to see it. Those two idiots had just revealed the nature of the enemy to the giants. Until now, the giants had not seen anything but explosions and magic. That had to worry them on some levels, and these two had just ruined that.

"**_Stand to Challenge, or go nameless into the beyond."_** Sonya sighed. Formal challenge had its place, but not here, not now.

She watched as two of the giants moved up and exchanged words with the two Rangers. After the four of them completed the rituals of challenge, they squared off. Blade's opponent went down quickly, and Sonya cursed the distance, that kept her from seeing the details.

Blade stood by, waiting for Martin's battle to end, which didn't take long, and they turned to the remaining giants. They faced the two giants and performed the rituals of Challenge again.

That was when everything went south. As Sonya watched with disbelieving eyes, both of the giants attacked Martin, in violation of the challenge. Eagle ducked under the sword of his opponent, but was unable to avoid the club of the other giant.

The heavy blow laid him out, silent, bleeding and not moving.

Blade showed the giants the error of their ways as he ran up behind the one that had ignored him and cut the giant across the calves, severing the muscles there and bringing the giant crashing to the ground.

He didn't even stop to check the giant, but ducked a swing from the club wielder and got inside his guard. Blade thrust up with the sword that was his namesake and continued to run, under the giant, before yanking the sword free and spinning around to cut the giant's right leg out from under him.

Blade ignored this giant as well, crossing to Eagle and hauling him quickly out of sight.

Sonya frowned at the second giant. He was curled up on the ground, and even from here, Sonya could hear his high-pitched keening. She thought about what Blade had done. She realized what Blade had done and felt a moment's pity for the giant, until she remembered that he'd broken Challenge.

She shrugged. At least he wouldn't be breeding anytime soon, if ever.

Blade reappeared, walking casually up to the still whimpering giant. The Manticores were too far away to hear what he said, but whatever it was made the giant try to reach for his club even as Blade calmly ran the giant though the eye, sinking his sword deep into its brain.

He took a minute to wipe the blade off on the giant's clothes and turned to the other one.

That giant had struggled to his knees, unable to rise any further with the tendons in both legs cut. "I am Scorned, of the Firestarter Clan."

Sonya didn't need to hear Alexander's reply to that. "You fight well, for a human. I will die well this day." The giant raised his sword and looked at Blade, waiting for him.

Sonya had to admire his courage, if not his honor. He knew that he had no chance here, but he was facing his death openly, and as close to on his feet as he could get. "What do you mean, I need not die?"

Sonya frowned at that. Blade was apparently offering him a way out. "Your offer is accepted." The giant tossed his sword down and lay back down to start caring for his wounds.

Blade caught Sonya's eye and made the hand signals for a medic to rally to him, and Sonya made the call. She had barely finished when she got a call. "Hydra one, this is Sphinx one. You should know, I have a giant in the wood line armed with a flag of truce."

Sonya turned, scanning the woods for the giant. She spotted him, standing at the edge of the wood line with a peace cloth in his hands.

She frowned, hesitating. With any other Clan, she'd simply go down there and see what he wanted but any Clan whose member would break a formal Challenge might ignore the peace flag as well.

As she thought about it, the giant started forward, moving slowly. Sonya made her decision and sent a call over the ring. "All units hold position and fire. Snipers, scan the wood line. Hydra, cover me."

She left the position and moved away from it before dropping the invisibility spell. She went to meet the giant, stopping when they were about twenty meters apart. The two of them studied each other for a minute. The giant was dressed in chain mail and wearing a large sword strapped across his back. "You have captured my son," he said without preamble. "I would know the cost of his return."

Sonya looked back. "I cannot say. Blade is the one that captured him, and the one you must talk to. I shall inform him of your request."

Sonya backed up and flew to where Blade stood over the dead giants, watching the one that was still alive. One of the Phoenix Mediwitches was working on his legs. "How is Eagle?"

Blade frowned. "Bruised, battered and sore. He has several broken ribs and a concussion, but the Phoenix medic says that Mercy will have him up and moving by the time we are ready to leave."

Sonya was relieved it was not worse. Blade's eyes went to the giant patiently waiting. "What does he want?"

Sonya arched an eyebrow, indicating the giant being healed. "He wants his son back, and is asking your price."

Blade looked at the giant behind him and back down the valley at the father. "My price is simple. They both leave, right now and promise to not fight any human that is not in the Firestarter Clan for a year and a day."

Sonya raised her eyebrow at the low request but turned and flew back to the waiting giant. She relayed the terms and the giant frowned. "Blade will not know if we have followed the terms of the ransom."

Sonya sighed. "That you leave today may save some of my people as well as your lives and that is good enough for me. Blade is willing to accept your word that you will follow the terms of the ransom."

The giant looked at his son, now standing near Blade. "I give my word not to attack any human not of this Clan, but I reserve the right to defend myself."

Sonya relayed that to Blade with the ring, looking back. Blade nodded his agreement and scorned started toward his father. He stopped and looked at Blade. He bowed slightly and crossed over to his sword. Picking it up, he slid it home in his sheath and started toward his father again.

He stopped as he reached Sonya and his father. "We must go," his father said.

"I have cost you must this day, Father." The two giants turned and started off, but then the father turned back.

"Might I know your name? You have shown skill and wisdom beyond a person of twice your years this day, and it will add luster to my name, to say that I spoke with you this day."

Sonya blinked. "I am Hydra," she said automatically following the formal ritual's rules. "Daughter of Merry and Falcon, kin to Starblade. My teachers are Blade, Enigma and Eagle."

The older giant listened and then spoke the lines of a formal introduction. "I am Night's Child, son of Gambler and Swifttalker. I was trained by Brightmind."

Sonya resisted the urge to ask his Clan. If he was with these giants, but not in the Firestarters, he might not have a Clan, and asking about it would be an insult. "I greet you, Night's Child. May your songs be long and glorious."

"And yours, Hydra." Sonya watched the two giants as they left, turning away only after they disappeared into the woods. She turned away and cast her invisibility spell again, returning to her position.

She checked her watch again. It was nearly seven in the evening and Chimera would be done in just about three hours. There was a great deal of movement in the woods over the next two hours, but none of the giants showed themselves.

With the cooling air and dropping sun had come a light fog that increased the tension level as it blocked the Manticores sight.

Sonya was dividing her attention between the woods and the sun, and missed something. It was a comment from Geri Newson that showed her what she'd missed. _"I thought fogs were swirly things, full of movement and shapes."_

Sonya took a closer look at the fog. It was very still and not even the light nighttime breeze was making it move. A terrible fear gripped her as she raised the ring. "Alpha point, I want every other weapon trained on the fog, now. Odd numbers, cast "Finite Incantatem" on the fog in five, four, three, two, one, now."

Across the valley, thirteen people cast the spell and all hell broke loose.

The fog was an illusion and the giants had been sneaking up closer under its cover. Already they were as far up the valley as any giant had gotten in the first attack.

There was an instant of frozen immobility on both sides, and then everyone exploded into motion.

The Manticores didn't even have to aim. There were forty giants out there and they were bunched up now, but they were changing that as they spread out hunting the enemy they knew were here.

Geri was holding the trigger of her 240b down, pouring ammunition downrange as fast as she could, while the M-4 cracked. The deep booms of the snipers counter pointed the firing of the 203s, and for an instant, it looked as though this attack would be repelled as well.

Sonya was targeting the closest giant to her, and she was far too close. As the two sides fought, the ritual at the Heart of the World was coming to a close and the magic that had been a constant presence since its arrival was building.

As Mercy and May-ling had already noticed, the Earthstone did strange things to magic in its vicinity and all at once, every spell in the valley failed at once. The Manticores were exposed to the enemy as the giants redoubled their efforts.

The Rangers broke cover to charge into the fight with blades and spells, trying to draw the giants away from the closer Manticores.

Across the valley in Sphinx's area, nine giants cut to the side, trying to flank around. The 240b in Maynard's hands cut two of them down, but it jammed suddenly.

In the deepening twilight, it was hard to see what was happening over there, but Sonya could see the remaining giants at the end of Sphinx's line. One and then another fell, but the rest made it behind the lines where Sphinx couldn't fire at them.

Ron Stone erupted out of his position; firing burst after burst, desperately trying to cover the machine gun nest while Maynard wasn't firing. Three giants went down, and Sonya recognized the motions of Ron reloading.

He raised his weapon and shot another giant, putting two bursts into it before it fell.

Sonya called a warning that would never reach the other side of the valley as another giant loomed to Ron's side, coming out of the deepening darkness. Ron spun and triggered a burst into the giant.

The burst was good, and would kill the giant, but it was just an instant too late, as the giant ran Ron though with his spear.


	33. Reactions

_A/N: Look! I can write chapters that are less than 15,000 words. This one is short, because not much happens here, and I want to explore the Manticores in Hogwarts for the rest of this summer in one chapter. For now, let's follow the Manticores out of the Giantlands._

**_Chapter 33_**

_**Reactions**_

Sonya saw Ron go down with the last giant he had killed and knew what had happened. She'd seen the bodies of Rangers come home too often not to know what a spear to the chest meant and her eyes blazed as she targeted another giant.

She felt Anari burn her hand in her haste to change the overheating barrel of the 240b, and sent a warning down the link. As she did, the Hydra link felt something, a pain in their chest and they all knew that something had happened to Ron Stone.

Around the world, in America, in Beauxbatons, everywhere there was a Manticore tied to the Moondancer Clan and James with the Final Moments link, those people felt the sharp pain in their chest and they all knew that something bad had happened to Ron.

In Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore looked up from his scrying bowl with a sigh. He'd been watching the Manticores since they crossed the border. He had hoped that the training and equipment of the Manticores would allow them to circumvent the requirement that a life be paid for the amulets, but it had not happened. He bent down over his bowl to watch the end of the ritual.

The sounds of battle changed then, becoming something more than it was, as the Manticores stepped up the tempo. Restraint, fire control, all the things they'd learned over the last two years went away, eclipsed by the fear that they shared about Ron.

The 240b from the Sphinx team opened up again, and Sonya frowned as she listened to it. Something there had changed dramatically. It came to her, as she reloaded. Whoever was using it had changed the gas tube settings. The weapon was on its highest setting, pushing nine hundred rounds a minute at the giants.

The gunner was simply aiming at a giant and firing until the giant was down, and then going on to the next target without ever letting up, and Sonya frowned. That would quickly ruin the barrel and run the firer out of ammunition. She was about to call Richard on the ring when the fire eased off, and settled into a more reasonable pattern.

"Hydra one, Chimera one and two are inbound your location at high speed. Don't shoot them." May-ling's rushed message made Sonya turn to look back. Two large cats of some kind were bounding over the terrain.

One was jet black with only a single white stripe over its left eye relieving the sable coat. The other was the fiery red of a Weasley's hair, and had the same white stripe. They shot past Sonya's position and hit the nearest giant with teeth and claws. The giant went down quickly, and the two barely slowed as they attacked the next giant.

Sonya sent a warning over the ring not to shoot the cats as she reloaded. Between the fire of the Manticores, Rangers, and the two-headed buzz saw that had joined them, the remaining giants were soon in full retreat. The cats followed them back into the wood line, and after a few seconds, so did the Rangers.

Judging by the sounds that came from the woods, the hunting was good, for cats and Rangers alike.

Sonya raised her ring again. "All units report."

Sonya knew that Geri was burned already, and was sending for Hydra's medic as the other teams answered her.

"Dragon is amber, medic needed."

"Griffon is green."

Sonya was requesting Dragon's medic when the last team made their status report.

"Sphinx is red, medic requested."

Sonya closed her eyes. That had not been Ron on the ring. She told Daniel to watch over Hydra and walked over to Sphinx, dreading what she would find.

Four of the Sphinx team were standing around something on the ground. Richard March turned to look at Sonya as she came up, and she saw Ron lying on the ground. The gaping hole in his chest was obvious, and Sonya felt the tears start as she saw the proof of Ron's death.

Richard March reported the events that had led to Ron's death in a toneless voice. Maynard Winchester had been manning the machine gun until it jammed. He had panicked at that point and simply curled up into a ball in the position.

Ron had come out of his position in an attempt to cover Maynard and keep the giants from getting behind the lines. Sonya listened to Richard tell the story from the Sphinx team's linked point of view and wiped her tears away.

Richard finished up and looked at Sonya. "We are asking that you take the coward with you. We will not allow him anywhere near us."

Sonya looked at Richard and the savage fury in his eyes made her frown. "Where is he now?"

Richard looked at her and didn't even try to hide the lie. "He tripped, and hit his head on a rock. He's over in the gun pit."

Sonya looked at him. "Be glad I agree with you. You never could lie well."

Richard shrugged. "Be glad it was me. One of the others wanted to have an 'accident' with their weapon."

Sonya stared at Richard and her voice cracked like a whip. "You tell that other that if anything like that happens to anyone I am leading, he'll wish Tiffany had gotten to him with her spoon before I am done with him."

Richard blinked as Sonya visibly calmed herself. "I am responsible for every song under my command, even ones that go bad. Anyone that hurts one of those songs will answer to me, unless someone else gets them first, as Sphinx one did."

Richard nodded. "Still, we would ask that you take him away. I am not sure I can keep him safe."

Sonya looked at Richard. "Then you had better learn to control your team better, team leader."

Richard sighed "It's not the team I am worried about. When I knocked him out earlier, it took me a minute to convince myself that I shouldn't just keep hitting him, until he paid for taking Ron from us."

Sonya winced as his words brought back a memory. "You can't do it you know," she said absently, lost in the memory. "No matter how many times you hit them, it's never fair again." She shook the reverie off and frowned. She really didn't have the resources for this. "Phoenix one, this is Hydra one. Would you join me at Alpha point for a minute?"

Jerrick sounded harried as he answered her. "Roger that, Hydra one. ETA five minutes."

Sonya looked at Richard. "I will deal with Maynard. I assume you will be taking your fallen with you?"

Richard nodded. "Sphinx made promises to each other that I have to carry out. We will take Ron back to his family and I have a letter to deliver to them."

Sonya and Richard spoke as they waited for Jerrick. When Jerrick joined them they told him about Ron and Maynard. Jerrick sighed. "He was good man and he will be missed. I'll get a couple of my people to pick up the other one, but I will keep him asleep until we get back and Sphinx needs to keep quiet about this until we are back. You two do remember who came out of her books long enough to go to the last dance with him, don't you?"

Sonya groaned. "Just get him back in one piece. After that, James and Professor Dumbledore can take care of it." Emily Kitchen was the Phoenix researcher, and a good friend of Ron's.

Jerrick nodded and looked at Ron again. "Good bye, my friend."

Sonya sighed and turned back to Richard. "Collect the weapons of the giants Ron killed, all of them. They are his, and will go back to his family with him." Sonya joined the other Sphinx team members around Ron's body. She knelt beside the body and closed her eyes for a minute, remembering Ron. She opened them and looked at Ron for the last time. "Your song was too short, but it was glorious while it lasted and I will sing it often." Sonya pulled her knife out and cut a lock of hair.

She started braiding it into a strip of leather as she spoke softly to the Sphinx team. "It is a Borderer custom to send a bit of yourself with one who's song ended, so that they will remember you in the afterlife, and so that you can meet again, somewhere beyond the Veil." She had barely gotten started on the braid when someone tapped her shoulder.

Looking up, she saw the Finnegan twins. Both of them had a lock of hair in their hands. "We cannot braid," Frank said quietly. "Would you add ours to your braid, please?" Sonya nodded and took the locks.

The other members of Sphinx followed suit and soon Sonya had the braid finished. It was a short braid and Sonya sighed. She fastened it to Ron's uniform and stood up. She bowed to Ron, a final Borderer salute to a fallen comrade. "We would have sung well, my friend. You will be remembered."

Sonya started back toward the Hydra positions. She looked around at the other teams. Judging by the expressions there, and the looks most of them wore, she didn't need to tell them about Ron. She resolutely pushed Ron out of her mind for now. She had work to do. Later, she would allow herself to grieve. She was talking to Daniel when she noticed that the Rangers were returning. She went to meet Blade and Eagle.

Martin was limping slightly and Alexander had a first aid pack wrapped around one arm. "Those two idiots pushed the giants too hard. Three got away from us."

Sonya blinked. "What about your scout team? Can they catch up to them?"

Alexander shook his head slowly. "They could, but but James is still hunting the giants, and I'm not risking my people until he calms down."

Sonya sighed. "I do not blame him," she said quietly. "Sphinx will need a new team leader."

Alexander closed his eyes. He'd been a soldier for twenty years and it never got any easier to lose someone you'd trained and fought with. "He was a good man."

Alexander pushed that news away, focusing on the mission to be finished, much as Sonya had done a few minutes earlier. "I need a medic for a couple of the Rangers, and then we need to be packing up, in case we have to go after those two."

Sonya nodded, relaying what Daniel had told her. "Phoenix is packed, with Chimera bundled for litter carry. As soon as they find out if they'll be carrying James and Tiffany, they can be ready to go in three minutes."

Sonya and Alexander were walking around the giant bodies as Alexander checked to be sure that they were dead and Sonya got reports from the Manticores. Alexander flipped the cloak that had fallen to cover one giant back and made a noise, as if someone had punched him hard.

Sonya looked at him and froze. She'd never seen the Borderer veteran look anything like this. In fact, she'd never seen anyone with so many conflicting emotions on their face. Alexander stood there, staring at the body for almost a minute and then his face went blank.

He bent over the giant and began unhooking the sword there. "I am claiming this sword." Sonya blinked and looked at the sword. It was a good one, what humans would call a bastard sword, with a worn dragon hide grip and a crossguard that looked like dragon wings. Sonya blinked, looking at the sword across Alexander's back.

As near as she could tell from here, they were identical. Blade spoke, and the tension in his voice did not the blank calmness on his face. "Long ago, when Fire Worker perfected the art of making Magically forged swords, twenty of his finest blades were chosen, and paired. He did something to them, and when he was done, if two Rangers wore them, and were bonded in any way, they could do things together that they could not do alone."

He stood up from the giant's body and began strapping the sword across his back with the other one. "This sword is the mate to my own. I claim it for that, and because I know this sword. The last time I saw it, Sable was wearing it."

Sonya's eyes went to the vaguely Celtic style knot on Blade's leather that proclaimed his _Lifemate_ status. Blade and Sable's story was well known along the borders, and it was a tragic one. They had met years ago, in the Ranger training and it had been love at first sight. Their careers, in the Rangers and the American Ranger Army had kept them apart for more than ten years, only able to meet once or twice a year.

When they finally had mated, they had done the Lifemate bonding. One step higher than marriage, Lifemates would never remarry, even if their partner died young. Few swore the oath, maybe ten couples in a generation. They had been married barely a year at the end of the Voldemort war, and settled down to walk the Borders.

Two years later, Sable had gone into the Giant lands on a routine mission and never come back. Blade had searched, and still searched in fact, but not even rumour had sung her song in five years. Sonya hissed in surprise. "This clan was started at the end of the Voldemort war. Sable might have heard something and gone looking for them."

Alexander nodded. "I will be back to ask the Firestarters about her, soon. Very soon." He looked at Sonya and she shivered as a chill ran down her spine. Alexander looked a lot like James just then, and she could see the tightly controlled fury in his eyes. "If these beings have kept Sable from me, they will shortly regret walking that path."

Alexander walked back toward the other Rangers as Sonya stared after him. She shook her head, and brought her mind back to the business at hand.

She got on the ring, calling the other teams and telling them to fill in the holes and pack up to leave. She also told them to keep a minimal guard and get ready to leave in a hurry. When she was finished, she saw Longstrider waiting for her. She told Daniel to continue with Hydra and crossed over to him. He was sitting on a rock and Sonya sat down nearby.

Longstrider watched her for a minute. "You have lost one of yours today and it was your first loss."

Sonya nodded as she adjusted Savignon. "I failed him."

Longstrider snorted derisively. "Failed, you say? Are you the Singer of Fate then, to always win without loss?" He pointed at the battlefield in front of them. "You faced odds that would have made many run, and with troops that had never fought for blood. That you won at all is a gift of the Singer of Fate, and will make a glorious song. That you lost but one will insure that today's song will be sung for years to come."

He looked at Sonya. "It is right that you grieve for the lost one, but do not let it destroy you. Talk to your war leader, or to Blade, else you will become the next Doombringer."

Sonya looked up, thinking about what he was saying. "I will."

Longstrider nodded. "Now, we must discuss the debt before you leave."

Sonya blinked. Honor was a very touchy subject among the giant Clans and she had to be careful here. She thought quickly. "You did allow us to stay in your lands when you could have told us to leave, leaving us in your debt."

Longstrider agreed. "A debt which was paid when you gave us Iceheart and the other giants for ransom." He looked at her gravely. "Then you defended us, without regard for your danger. At least that is the way Shadowstalker and Treebreaker see it. In addition to that, while you were the Defender, you lost one of yours, leaving us under a Lifedebt."

Sonya thought about it and finally sighed. "True. This debt is high, for the one that was lost was good." Sonya couldn't find a way out of the giants owing Manticore Lifedebt, not that she tried very hard. Using Ron's death as a bargaining chip was wrong, and Sonya refused to do it.

"Shadowstalker has taken this debt on her own shoulders, so that the Clan may start without debt. She says that you may call on her for a future favor."

Sonya nodded. She fingered the braid she wore absently as she thought about it. "Tell her that I will think on"

Sonya's words were cut off by the scream of a big cat and she whirled. The two cats that had passed her earlier had finally returned, and they were streaking toward Longstrider. Sonya jumped up and got between the cats and Longstrider.

Sonya cast about for a way to slow the cats, but they were coming quickly, and she was left with a single option. She pulled her rifle off her back and triggered a burst into the ground in front of the cats.

The two cats pulled up short and then broke apart, trying to circle the girl that faced them. Sonya triggered a closer burst in front of James, making him come to a stop. Before he could do anything, Sonya raised her ring. "Chimera one, this Hydra one."

The cat cocked his head and Sonya repeated the call. The cat looked at her as the red cat joined him. They shimmered and Sonya gasped. James and Tiffany were covered in drying blood and other things, but that was not what startled Sonya so badly. When she'd seen them just three days ago, they had looked like teenage adult, maybe seventeen or eighteen.

The man standing there was about twenty-five, and had a white lock of hair just over his left eye. Tiffany looked at least as old as James did and had the same white lock. That was startling enough, but they both had the pinched look of people who had not eaten in quite some time.

Both of those would have caught Sonya's eye, except the burning fury rolling off James as he stared at Longstrider captured her attention completely. She snuck a look at Tiffany again and groaned. Usually, she was the brake on James' temper, but now she looked as furious as James did and the green flames of her Pyromancy flickered along her skin.

Sonya raised the ring again, speaking slowly and carefully. "Chimera one, this Hydra one."

"Knock it off." Sonya blinked again. She was not certain which of the two in front of her had spoken. She relaxed slightly as the green flames flickering in Tiffany's eyes went away, but kept her eye on James. He was still staring at Longstrider.

"James, Longstrider is under my protection, and since I am here at your word, that means he is under yours. It would not be a good thing to eat him."

James looked at her, and Sonya tensed. The maelstrom of emotion surging through his eyes mirrored the turmoil she felt. Tiffany moved up to stand next to him, and James raised an eyebrow at Sonya. "I am not that hungry."

He turned, surveying the battlefield. "How many?"

"Eighty-four enemy with magical assistance. Until this last assault Manticore kept them behind the alpha point."

James nodded, and turned back to Sonya. He looked at her, and his eyes were distant, unfocused. "You have done well, now take them home." James' words were slurred and he was leaning drunkenly to one side. He had barely finished speaking when the two of them fell, dropping like puppets with their strings cut.

"Chimera nine, this Hydra one. Chimera one and two need you at Alpha point." Sonya crossed to James and began examining him. She found a gash along his ribs that was still bleeding slowly and began bandaging it.

May-ling came up and watched her for a second. "Keep going, I'm going to check Tiffany." May-ling began going over Tiffany, and found the gash in the ribs that James had. Since it was no longer bleeding, she continued to check and muttered something when she found a puncture in her thigh, as if an arrow had gone completely through.

When the two of them had finished the first aid, May-ling examined them again. Sonya cocked her head, waiting for May-ling to say something. What May-ling said though, was in her native Chinese and did not sound good.

"Excuse me," Sonya said impatiently, "but would you mind filling me in?"

"My brother is a hotheaded idiot." May-ling snapped. Sonya waited a second. "Sorry," May-ling said, as she stood up. "I don't know where they were for the last three days, but they are drained of all resources, as if they hadn't eaten in a month or more. Magically, they're just as bad off, and the fighting and injuries from the giants is not helping. I am going to keep them unconscious until Melissa or Madame Potter can look at them."

Sonya winced. She had been hoping to have James' advice at least. She got a status report from Manticore as May-ling and three other Phoenix people bundled James and Tiffany in the netting used to carry people who were unconscious or unable to fly.

"May-ling, we'll be moving out as soon as I tell our hosts goodbye. Pass the word, would you?" Sonya waited for May-ling's nod and turned back toward Longstrider. "I offer Manticore's apologies for the actions of our Clan leader. He is emotional, young and under some stress right now."

Longstrider studied her for a minute. "He is also bound to you all somehow. For three days, he touched the Earthstone, but he knew of your loss. His is a powerful song, and that you would face him to protect another leaves me in your debt."

Sonya grimaced. She was just piling debts up. At this rate the whole giant nation was going to owe her, which would lay some serious obligations on her. "I don't suppose you could forget it?"

Longstrider just looked at her. "You know better, Hydra."

Sonya sighed. "Yes, I know. Manticore has to leave though. May I hold the debt until I return?"

"I can wait, but I would prefer that you not hold it too long. I am old, and would prefer to meet the Singer debt free." Longstrider watched the Manticores gathering to leave. "These friends of yours are a strong song. I hope you are as strong."

Sonya shrugged. "I have to be. None of the other Manticores is a Borderer, and you know as well as I do that even the Borderers make mistakes in dealing with giants."

Sonya and Longstrider talked for a minute, comrades taking leave of each other. Sonya asked Longstrider to convey her regards to Shadowstalker and Treebreaker. Their ritual was going to take another few hours and Sonya wanted to be far from here when the sun rose. She wanted to keep the Manticores busy so they wouldn't have time to dwell on Ron's song, and its end.

"Hydra one, this is Phoenix two. Manticore is ready to go." Jerrick sounded the same as he always did, cool and unperturbed, and Sonya strove to match his tone as she answered him.

Sonya rejoined the Manticores and placed the Unicorn team on point. With Pegasus running the rear guard, Manticore lifted off, heading for the Border.

They were flying a bit higher this time, just over the tree tops and slower as even with matching Broomsticks some of the Manticores simply didn't fly as well as others, and flying at night only made that worse.

Sonya had the team leaders checking on their people regularly, and it was a good thing, because just after midnight, they had to stop and wait for two Phoenixes that had gotten off course. The Dragon team soon brought them back without incident and Manticore continued on their way. They holed up just before dawn and Sonya put out the guards and got everyone settled in.

When she returned to Hydra's positions after everyone else was settled in for the day, she found her team waiting on her. Daniel met her, looking at her closely. _"It's time for you to sleep."_

Sonya started to protest, but Daniel stopped her. _ "Sonya, you're running on too little sleep now. This is not a game. You cannot be sleep-fogged when you make decisions."_ Sonya winced, and and Daniel put his hand on her shoulder. _"Listen to me. We've been listening to you wondering if you could have saved him all night, and you have to stop. Geri is nearly in tears, and the rest of us are not much better. For our sake, will you please go to sleep? I promise to wake you if anything happens."_

Sonya stared at him, and then looked at Hydra. Geri wouldn't meet her eyes, and the rest of Hydra had rings around their eyes. She sighed, becoming aware of just how tired she really was. Physically, she had done no more than any other Manticore, but physical strain is not the only way to be worn out. The mental stress and worry of leading was telling on her, and through her, on her team. "Fine. You had better wake me though if anything happens."

Sonya got out her gear and tried to sleep, but she kept thinking about the final battle, and sleep avoided her. She laid there tossing restlessly until a voice came from the darkness. "I didn't sleep for two days after I had one of my people die."

Sonya sat up and looked toward Alexander. "There had to be something I could have done."

Alexander sighed, and his voice was heavy with past regrets. "I will not say that there wasn't, and you will think of things that might have worked. What you have to remember is that hindsight is perfect. You had a situation then, and you did all as well as I would have, or I would have said something, you should know that."

Sonya sighed. "I know that with my head, Blade, but my heart is not listening."

Blade nodded. "I know what you say, and I know how you feel. Think about this. You know or have heard most of the Border songs. How many of the songs of war have no endings? If you can find a dozen, I will be surprised. That you cannot find twenty, I will bet a future favor on."

Sonya thought about it. "I cannot think of any right now."

Blade stood up. "The Rangers are still following you, and so are the Manticores. Think about that, when the doubts get too high. Every Ranger and all those team leaders are trained to lead and take care of their people. Do you really think they would be following you if they thought you were dangerous to their people?" Blade turned and disappeared silently into the night.

Sonya lay back down, and sometime after that, drifted into sleep.

Sometime later, she was awoken by a nudge on her foot. She sat up and tried to wipe the sleep from her eyes. "What time is it, Daniel?"

"It's just after noon, but I am not Daniel." Sonya was reaching for her wand before recognition caught up with reflexes, and Hydra was scrambling toward them, because that voice belonged to no Manticore.

Sonya sat there, still tangled in her blanket, with her wand pointing at the Ranger sitting calmly at the foot of her bedroll. She stared at him, noting Hydra circling the two of them, all pointing weapons at the stranger. "Hold off, Hydra. I vouch for this man."

Hydra looked at her dubiously, until Sonya waved them off. She frowned at the man smiling at her. "Enigma, your sense of humour is going to get you killed one of these days." Sonya frowned at the Ranger. "How the hell did you get though the lines anyway?"

"You have known me long enough to know I won't tell you that," he chided her. "I did need to talk to you before you leave the lands though, so I dropped in."

Sonya shot him a look. "How did you know we were here, anyway? I couldn't get a hold of you to ask to come with us."

"I visited your mother a day or so before you left for the lands, and she told me what you were doing. I simply followed you when you crossed the border." Enigma grinned at Sonya's expression. "You should know I can follow anyone by now."

"I know you can," said Sonya in exasperation, only to stop as Enigma's shirt bulged and a ferret popped its head out. The ferret climbed down and crossed to Sonya. It chittered and bounced at her knee until she picked it up. "Hello, Furball. What's a smart ferret like you doing with him?" The ferret climbed up her arm and chittered at Enigma. Sonya grinned at Enigma. "So you followed us." She narrowed her eyes, remembering how the humans of the Firestarters had died. "Were you hunting this week as well?"

Enigma shrugged. "I may have been doing a bit of hunting, but you weren't going anywhere and I was annoyed that they were coming."

Sonya started to say something, but Enigma interrupted her. "My time is short, Hydra."

Sonya dressed slowly, thinking about the things Enigma had said. She had known the old Ranger her entire life, and he'd always been different, but this was bizarre even for him. She went to join Hydra as they ate. The team leaders soon joined her and they discussed the route and where the teams would be.

When the team leaders left to get their teams ready, Sonya's team moved up. Daniel took the lead, as he did most of the time when Sonya was not available. "Who was that, what did he say that has you so upset, how did he get in the lines unseen and how did he leave?"

Sonya grinned at her team, and then turned serious. "That was Enigma, the oldest Ranger alive. He's the borderer equivalent of Professor Dumbledore. He got into our lines because he has forgotten more about sneaking around than all of us know. He got out the same way."

Sonya sighed, chewing on her lip. "As to what he said, I cannot talk about it yet. Let me think about it, and do some research when we get back to Hogwarts, and then we will talk about it."

Daniel frowned at her. "That was remarkably uninformative, even for you, Hydra."

Sonya smiled at him. "Ask any of the Rangers about him. That is about what any of them can say."

Geri was watching Sonya closely. "All they can say, maybe. I think that you could say more, if you chose to."

Sonya smiled. "I could, he is an old family friend, but then I might spoil his reputation." She frowned, as sadness flickered in her eyes. "He was my father's trainer, and my parents and he are close friends."

She shook it off and stood up. "Right now though, we have more important things to do. We're on the right side of the formation today. Daniel's in charge if I get called away."

Manticore's trip was uneventful, and they reached the border maybe an hour early. Manticore set in, and waited. At the appointed time, A single figure crossed the border from the human side, and Manticore linked up with Falcon, one of the Rangers, and Sonya's mother.

Within two hours of the linkup, Manticore was back at Hogwarts, and Sonya was talking to Professor Dumbledore in the infirmary. Madame Potter was examining Chimera and having the Manticore Mediwizards spooning potions into them.

She came to the two of them after an hour or so, when Sonya was telling Professor Dumbledore about the last fight. Madame Potter listened quietly as Sonya told them about Ron. Professor Dumbledore nodded. "I will take Sphinx to return Mr. Stone's body." He noted Sonya's involuntary flinch. "You should come with us."

Sonya winced again. "I will." She sighed. "Will James be up in time to join us?"

Madame Potter shook her head. "Not a chance. All of Chimera is worn out, but James and Tiffany are as close to being burned out and Squibs as I have ever seen, or heard about. I'm not even going to let them wake up for three days."

Professor Dumbledore sighed. "We cannot delay taking Mr. Stone back to his family that long."

Sonya winced again. Borderers did not name the dead, believing that to name them would delay their crossing the Veil, and make them stay on the material world as ghosts. To hear Sphinx one named twice in a few minutes raised the hackles at the back of her neck and she had to resist the urge to turn around and look for Ron.

Sonya nodded. "I will find Sphinx and we will be ready when you are, Professor." She slipped away, looking for Sphinx.

Professor Dumbledore looked at the infirmary. Chimera was in eight beds, sleeping, and two other Manticores were there also, to have injuries attended to. This was more people in the infirmary than the headmaster had seen since the ball when Tiffany's Pyromancy had manifested, and he did not like the sight.

Two hours later, Sphinx, Hydra and Professor Dumbledore took a Port-key to the Stone house, landing just outside of it. Sphinx picked up Ron's body and they all started towards the door. An older man was working in the garden and looked up. He saw the group, their faces and the burden they carried.

He stood, and met them at the gate. H e looked at them and seemed to age twenty years in seconds. "You'd best wait a minute. His mum will take it better from me." He turned and started up the path to the house.

Sphinx and Hydra followed him silently, stopping at the door while he went inside. Sonya would never forget the anguished cry that came from the house, as Mr. Stone told his wife that their oldest child was dead.


	34. Guilt and Death

_A/N: This note is not about the story, but about the names. I used the names of people I know to pick almost every name in this story, except of course, the ones you recognize as Canon. Some of you have said things about Tiffany's name, and I will admit, Tiffany is not a typical British name, nor a Wizard name. I know that, but hear me out before you go off the deep end like one woman who emailed me did._

_Tiffany was born when I was nine, and she was my youngest sister. She was bright, cute and hyperactive, and the one person I loved most in my family. When she died in an accident at the age of five, it nearly killed me. I chose to give Tiffany Potter my little sister's name in homage to a young girl who never got to live because I like the character of Tiffany the best of all the Eight. You will understand then, why I will not change her name, now or ever._

_This chapter is for my youngest friend. May you find peace and happiness where ever you are now._

_**Chapter 34**_

_**Awakening to a new world.**_

Rose woke up slowly, blinking eyes that seemed glued shut. She looked around, lost. She was in an unfamiliar room, and it took her a minute to place the Infirmary at Hogwarts. With that recognition came memory and she was suddenly wide awake. This was all wrong.

The last she knew, Manticore had been two days into the giant lands, casting the ritual that might help James and Tiffany out. That she was in the Infirmary now, without any memory of the time in-between was not a good thing, in her opinion.

She struggled to her elbows and looked around for Madame Potter. What she saw was all of Chimera, laying in beds on each side of her. The only two that were missing were James and Tiffany, and she could feel James sleeping not too far away. She looked at Chimera, but they were all asleep.

Rose closed her eyes, remembering the decision she had made at the end of the ritual, and the tears flowed. She'd allowed Ron to die so she could have her brother longer. _"What is wrong with you?"_

Rose jerked, and opened her eyes. Melissa was staring at her. _"I can feel your pain, and I do not understand it. Will you share it with me?"_

Rose closed her eyes again, and thought. Normally, she would talk to James, but this she could not share with him. He would never forgive her for allowing any of his Manticores to die for him. Melissa was her best friend and she might understand why Rose had chosen as she had. In the end though, Rose couldn't say anything about it yet. "_I'm not ready to talk about it yet._"

Melissa examined her. "_When you are, I am here for you._"

Rose turned and looked at Melissa. "_I know, and thank you._" She looked at the others. "_How are the others?_"

Melissa frowned, reaching out with her Healing talent, trying to feel the other Chimeras. As soon as she did, a bell rang in Madame Potter's office. "Miss Xavier, stop that now." Madame Potter followed her voice out of her office and looked at the startled girls. "I knew you'd be trying to check on them as soon as you awoke. No magic for either of you until I have examined you."

Rose frowned. "Why?"

Madame Potter raised an eyebrow. "First, because I said so, and second, because I have never even seen a more exhausted group of people than the bunch of you yesterday. You need time to rest and recuperate."

Melissa sighed. "I am tired. How long have we been asleep?"

"Three and half days right now. I don't know what happened, at least, not all of it." Madame Potter's face was bleak as she remembered the body Manticore had brought back. It had brought back far too many memories of the Voldemort war for her. She shook it off and looked at the two girls. "You lot will stay here, doing nothing magical at all, until I say otherwise, is that understood?"

The two girls nodded obediently, well aware that Madame Potter was perfectly capable of potioning them if they gave her any trouble. Rose reached for James. He was asleep, but something was different about him. Rose looked at Madame Potter. "How are James and Tiffany?"

Madame Potter looked toward one of the private rooms. "I don't know yet. We're trying everything we can though." She looked at Melissa and sighed. "Miranda Xavier is here, working with me."

Melissa blinked and closed her eyes. Rose looked at the two of them. "Who is Miranda Xavier, and why is that so bad?" She was getting very nervous about James. If he died after she let Ron die to keep him alive, she would never be able to live with that.

"Miranda Xavier is the best of us all," Melissa said quietly. "She only attends the worst cases, the ones everybody else has already written off as lost. She was the one that kept Athena Clearwater alive when Mrs. Clearwater lost her magic."

Rose closed her eyes, absorbing what Melissa had said. "How bad are they?" she questioned, with a note of hysteria in her voice.

Madame Potter sat on the edge of Rose's bed and took her hand. "We really don't know yet. The Soulbond put them through many changes at a time when their bodies were already changing, and that ritual changed them further. We're going to keep them asleep for another three days at least. They have to allow their magic to recover before they do anything, and you know as well as I do that James is possibly the worst patient ever." Madame Potter sighed. "I wish I could be more positive, but that is how it stands right now. Miranda is in the Potions classroom, brewing more things to give the two of them. I will allow you to speak to her when she comes back."

She patted Rose's hand and stood up. "Until then," she said briskly, "you may read, talk or write. Nothing else until I say so, understand?"

Melissa surprised a giggle out of Rose. "Can I sleep at least?" Madame Potter turned to look at Melissa. She stared at Melissa for barely a second. "Sorry, Madame Potter. I'm not thinking straight right now," Melissa apologized.

Madame Potter softened. "Sleep as much as you want. I'll have a House Elf bring you dinner." She looked at the girls. "I don't care how you feel, you will eat at least one full plate tonight. You have not had any solid food in three days, and you need nourishment."

Madame Potter went back to her office, leaving the two girls alone. Melissa looked at Rose. "_We lost someone, didn't we?_"

Rose closed her eyes, remembering the sight of the spear entering Ron's chest. "_Yes._"

Melissa winced as a deep sorrow started in her heart. She had been friendly with all the Manticores. Some she liked better than others, but all of them were friends. "_Who did we lose?_"

Rose started crying again, hot tears trickling down her cheeks. "_Ron Stone._"

Melissa closed her eyes. Ron had been one of their best, and a good friend. She had worked with him on a couple of projects and admired his mind as well as his sense of humour. "_How did that happen?_" she asked rhetorically.

Rose didn't hear it rhetorically though. She only heard the pain in Melissa's voice. "_He died because I let him die._" Melissa jumped in shock as Rose's feelings poured across the link. Rose was babbling as she told Melissa about what she had seen with the Sight, and how she'd kept casting. (_For that story, see Decisions; Chapter one. Raven._)

Melissa listened to Rose, and understood the emotions coursing through her. Melissa frowned, and looked for Madame Potter. She got out of bed and slid onto Rose's bed. "_Shh._" Melissa held Rose as she cried, searching for the words that would make Rose feel better.

Madame Potter came in the room a few minutes later, and saw Melissa and the sobbing girl she held. Melissa made eye contact and shook her head at Ginny Potter. Madame Potter nodded slowly, and went back into her office.

Melissa held Rose until Rose drifted off into an exhausted sleep. She looked down at Rose with a frown. Melissa had been training as a healer since her parents had told her that she would be one, and still she had no answers for this problem. Melissa could understand it, and even agreed with what Rose had done. She would have given another to save one of her family as well.

Melissa sighed as she slowly stroked the sleeping girl's hair. She didn't have a clue what she was going to do to help Rose through this. She pushed the problem to the back of her mind to think about later as she gave in to the mourning for Ron.

It was nearly an hour later that she was interrupted by a moan. Wiping her eyes, she looked up. Adam was stirring restlessly. He opened his eyes and looked around. He shook his head and looked at Melissa. "_Did it work?_"

Melissa was about to answer him when she frowned. "_To be honest, I don't know._" She thought about it for a minute. "_I assume it did, we're still here, and James and Tiffany are in there,_" she said, pointing at a closed door. "_But I have not actually talked to them yet, they're still sleeping._"

"Madame Potter?" she called, well aware from the times she'd worked on various people that Madame Potter had spells that allowed her to hear anyone calling her in the infirmary. Madame Potter came out of her office.

She looked at Rose first. "Is she going to be alright?" she asked Melissa.

Melissa frowned again. "Physically, I think so, as best I can tell without using my talent." Madame Potter raised an eyebrow. "She has a different problem. I'll talk to you later." Madame Potter nodded and turned her attention to Adam.

He looked at her. "Did it work?"

Madame Potter nodded. "We think so. The aging has stopped, and Madame Xavier is trying to reverse the aging they have already undergone." She looked toward the room the Soulbonded were in. "The ritual aged them more. They appear to be adults in their mid twenties right now. That put too much stress on their bodies and we have to reverse it, or they will have health problems later on."

She examined Adam and smiled. "You're recovering well. I want you to eat well tonight, and you'll probably be released tomorrow. "You will not use magic tonight, understand?"

Adam nodded. "Yes, Madame Potter." They were all distracted then, as Lisa stirred and tried to sit up. Melissa was looking at Adam when he saw Lisa, and she smiled as he lit up, his face alight with relief and love.

Madame Potter examined her carefully. "You're not in as good as shape as Adam, but you're still recovering well." She gave the tired girl the same instructions she had given the others and left them alone. "I have to go see how Miranda is doing. No magic while I'm gone." She handed Melissa a small bell. "If any of the others wake up, use this and I will come back to examine them."

After she left, Melissa quietly told Lisa and Adam about Ron. Adam closed his eyes. "_I knew it. I've been having the weirdest dreams about Ron. I think I knew that he was gone._"

The friends quietly mourned Ron, telling each other stories of him until dinner arrived. They grinned, as Hangeld stirred as the aroma of food penetrated the infirmary. He sat up, looking around. He saw Emma in the bed across from him and started to get up.

"I wouldn't do that, Mr. Hagrid." Hangeld fell back as Madame Potter's voice rang out from the doorway. She came in and closed the door. She crossed the floor to Hangeld. "Somehow, I knew you would wake up when the food arrived."

Hangeld was watching Emma. "How is she?"

"Sleeping. She will wake up when she is ready, and you will wait until then, wouldn't you?" Hangeld flushed, as he'd been trying to talk to Emma with the link. Madame Potter smiled gently at him. "I've been watching the whole bunch of you talk in your heads for three years now. Did you think I wouldn't learn what you look like when you're doing it by now?" She examined Hangeld as she had the others and gave him the same instructions.

Hangeld grinned as she told him to make sure he ate. He looked around, making sure that Chimera and Ginny were the only people in earshot. "Aunt Ginny, the only reason I'm not eating now is because you're between me and the food."

Ginny Potter looked at the boy that had grown up with her daughter and Emma, living at her house whenever his father was away in the giant lands She reached out and tousled his hair in a gesture she had not done since he started Hogwarts. "Then maybe I should move." She smiled at him, an impish smile he knew well. "After all, I wouldn't want you to starve. I know how hard it is to get you to eat at all."

Hangeld grinned, and was reaching for the trolley as soon as she was out of the way. He pulled it close to his bed and looked at it. He looked at the other Chimeras that were awake with a smile. "I see they brought me something to eat. Didn't they bring you anything?"

"_Don't be greedy, Biggie. I'd hate to have to bounce you off the roof again._" Hangeld blinked and his eyes went to Emma. She was looking at him with still sleepy eyes. Hangeld smiled at her, and the naked emotion in their eyes made the other Chimeras look away, giving the two of them as much privacy as they could.

They stared at each other, talking over the link for a minute, and whatever they said to each other in those moments will remain with them.

They finally broke the eye contact and Emma looked around. "_Where are James and Tiffany? Did it work?_" She frowned, and looked at the rest of Chimera. "_What happened? I had the worst dreams._"

A shadow seemed to fall across the rest of them that already knew about Ron. Hangeld and Emma looked around. Slowly, Melissa told them about Ron.

Dinner was a quiet affair, each of the Chimeras alone with their own thoughts about Ron. The night was not much better, as they had uneasy dreams, images filled with death and horror.

The next morning, as they ate, Madame Potter came in the room. With her was Professor Dumbledore. He looked at the quiet children lying in the beds. A wave of his hand brought a chair to him, and he sat down. "Madame Potter tells me that you are recovering nicely, and that most of you will be released later today. She does ask me to remind you that the no magic prohibition will stay in effect until she tells you different."

He looked at Chimera again. They were very quiet for patients that had just been released from the Infirmary, and Professor Dumbledore knew why. He sighed. "You all know that I have fought Dark Wizards for nearly a century now. Everyone knows that, but what you may not know is just how many people I have lost in that time."

Professor Dumbledore talked for nearly an hour. "You're young, too young for what you go to face. I tried to keep Harry in the dark for so long for this very reason. I wanted him to grow up some, to have a normal life before he had to face his Prophecy. I cannot protect you from the consequences of your actions, nor can anyone else. Before you decide anything though, wait for James and Tiffany to wake up, and talk to the other Manticores. I think they may surprise you."

Professor Dumbledore stood up and smiled at the Chimeras. "Speaking of the other Manticores, I believe a few of them are rather anxiously waiting to talk to you. Madame Potter has said that it would be acceptable for you to have visitors today, so I will send the first three in."

Professor Dumbledore stood up and turned to leave. "Professor Dumbledore." He turned and looked at Rose, who had spoken. "Thank you, Sir."

He smiled faintly. "No thanks are needed, Miss Evans."

After the headmaster left, three familiar figures came in and one of them was nearly running as she made her way to Rose. "Are you ok? How is James? Did it work?" May-ling was short enough that she had to get on Rose's bed to hug her. Mercy and Sonya watched, smiling as May-ling attempted to hug Rose, examine her and ask a dozen questions at once.

Rose hugged her sister, holding her tightly. "Yes, we don't know yet, and yes."She grabbed May-ling's hands, smiling at her. "Relax, oldest little sister. Madame Potter has us recovering nicely, she says."

May-ling wiped tears away and smiled at Rose. "I have just found my new family, pardon me if I need to see for myself that you are ok."

"Is James awake yet?" Sonya was quiet and somber as she directed the question at Rose.

"No, and Madame Potter said she would keep them asleep for another three days yesterday."

Sonya sighed. "Pity. I was hoping to give him the Manticores back." A shadow passed across her face. "Most of them, anyway," she said morosely.

Adam looked at Sonya. "Sonya, why do you have a sword on your back?"

The Border girl shrugged. "Because I respect fine art." She looked at the confused faces of the patients and smiled. "It's a Borderer thing. I'll tell you all about it later." She hesitated, looking at Rose. "I don't have to tell you about Sphinx one, do I?" She sighed at the looks on Chimera's faces. "Right. Sphinx one was sent home yesterday. The funereal is in four days, and the family has asked that it be private, family only. Sphinx is upset about that, but I've talked to them, and they have agreed not to do anything rash."

Sonya told Rose about the Manticores, and what she'd been having them do and then left, leaving Mercy and May-ling with Chimera. Mercy was watching them quietly. "I'll leave you with May-ling. Nothing I have to report is vital, and it can wait until you are all back on your feet again." She smiled at them. "It is good to see you all."

May-ling was carefully examining each member of Chimera, much as Madame Potter had done when each of them awoke. Rose watched her with a slight smile. "You do know that Madame Potter has already done that, don't you?"

May-ling shrugged, glancing at Rose as she continued her work. "Of course, but you are my responsibility, and I will see for myself how you are."

"Are you implying that you don't trust me, Miss Sun-Tzu?" Madame Potter was standing in the door of her office, with a faint frown on her face.

May-ling looked at her, and smiled. "No, I am implying that these are my friends and my patients, and I will not be satisfied until I have checked them out. As you yourself taught the Manticores, 'never take someone else's word for the condition of a patient. Everyone makes mistakes or misses things.' I am simply following your teachings."

Madame Potter nodded, smiling at May-ling. "Very good, May-ling. If classes were in session, I would give you twenty points, but you'll have to settle for some of those brownies you make disappear so quickly."

Hangeld looked up. "Your brownies?" He suddenly looked hopeful. "Might there be enough for a growing boy?" Emma was looking at Ginny Potter with a hopeful look as well.

The other Chimeras watched the three of them trying to beg more brownies out of Madame Potter. Rose looked at the others. "Do you get the feeling we're missing something here?"

Lisa shrugged. "I can't imagine what. Brownies are merely bits of cake with chocolate in them."

Emma, May-ling and Hangeld turned identical looks of horror on Lisa. The resultant babble as they all tried to convey the depths of her ignorance to her made all of them impossible to understand. Madame Potter shushed them. "Lisa, have you ever had a brownie?"

Lisa shook her head. Affecting a superior tone, she imitated her mother. "Such rubbish are for the lower class, who do not care what they eat. You are a Malfoy, and as such, you will have taste."

She looked around at the faces around her. "What? Have you ever seen what they're made of? No nutritional value, they don't even wake you up like coffee does. What's the point of eating something that does nothing for you but make you fat?"

Adam grinned happily. "Just leave her alone." He looked at Lisa and smiled, but this was a private smile, just for her. "I'll introduce her to the fun in food."

Lisa started to say something when Adam opened a private link. She listened for a minute, and her eyes got wide and she stared at Adam. He just grinned and said something else to her over the link. Lisa stared at him for a minute, eyes wide and her mouth open. She shook her head as the other students began laughing and looked at them. Patiently ignoring her bright red face she turned to Madame Potter. "You said something about releasing us today?"

Madame Potter had a smile on her face as well, and she nodded. "Most of you anyway. Hangeld and Emma may be staying one more night, and I may have some tests for them later. Right now though, I want to clear the crowd in front of my Infirmary away, so you people are going to have to hurry with your visitors."

Rose looked up. "How many visitors are out there?"

Madame Potter pulled a parchment from her pocket. "Let's see, in order, they are Mr. Clearwater, all the team leaders, Miss Kitchen, Miss Cale and a Mr. Terrence, who is waiting for James to wake up."

Adam looked up, puzzled. "What is Trea doing here?" Trea Cale was one of the new Manticores from Beauxbatons, and she was supposed to be in America, at the summer training site.

Rose considered the list for a minute. "Would you send in Jerrick, Trea and Emily, please? Those will be the easiest ones to start with."

Madame Potter nodded. "After you get rid of the mob at my door, you have a lot of letters to look at as well." Rose rolled her eyes, but not until Ginny Potter had turned toward the door. "You shouldn't roll your eyes like that, Miss Evans, you might end up looking like Mad-eye Moody."

Rose stared at her back as the other Chimeras smiled. She shook her head with a small smile. "She's got better sight than I do."

Jerrick, Emily and Trea came in then, and Rose sat up a bit. "Emily, what do you want first?"

Emily looked up from the scroll she was reading. "Nothing, I just wanted to tell you that I was going to be gone for the next two days, and why, but without anyone else knowing." Before anyone could ask her why or where she was going, she started talking again. "I have an invite to Ron's funereal, and I am going, both to say goodbye, and to represent Manticore. It is not right that we not be there, so I will be there, as Ron's lover and fiancée."

Rose and Melissa looked at each other while the rest of the people in the room tried to ignore the conversation and their blushes. Rose looked at Emily curiously. "You were never Ron's lover."

Emily looked at her and a ghost of a smile ran across her face. "I know that, and you know that, but his family doesn't, and I have a good many letters implying different."

Adam looked at her. "And just how old are those letters?"

Emily just shrugged. "Professor Dumbledore might be able to prove they are not from Ron to me, but nobody else could." She looked at Rose and smiled again, although it was a sad smile. "I really must thank you for allowing me to read the fifteenth book. It has some fascinating spells."

Rose frowned, thinking about the fifteenth volume of the Pendragon spellbooks and then her head jerked up. "You and Ron used the Dream Writer spell, didn't you?"

Emily nodded as Rose looked at her with more respect. The Dream Writer spell allowed you to capture your dreams on paper. You would cast it just before going to sleep, and it would record every dream you had until you woke up. It was, however, a difficult spell to cast, requiring an amazing amount of patience and skill of the caster. Rose suddenly colored, blushing darkly as she thought about what Emily had said. "Emily, what dreams did you two record?" Rose really didn't want to hear the answer, as she was afraid she already knew, but she had to ask.

"All of them, for the last six months, but we were only interested in a certain type of dream for my paper. I'm starting a new line of study on the differences between male and female subconscious thinking during puberty and adolescence." Emily started to explain, but Rose stopped her.

"Emily, I know it may be interesting to you, but I'm not ready to hear about male dreams during puberty or adolescence." Rose repressed a shiver. She really was not ready for that, and knowing that the dreamer was dead didn't help at all.

Emily blinked and then shrugged. "Anyway, a little tampering, and the dreams look like letters from Ron and I to each other. I used a couple of them to convince his father that I had the right to be there." Emily blinked, and wiped a tear away. "I want to say goodbye to Ron."

Rose nodded. "Do you need anything?"

Emily shook her head, and started to get up. "No, I just didn't want to rub it in Sphinx's face that I would be there and they wouldn't."

Hangeld stopped her. "Emily, do me a favor,will you?" He reached over the side of the bed and found his Manticore uniform. Taking his pocket knife out, he cut a lock of hair. "Take this to Sonya, and tell her you need it braided for Ron. She'll understand. While you're at the funereal, if you get a chance, put it in his casket, will you?"

Emily took the hair, and cocked her head, looking at Hangeld. "I will, but what is it, and what's it for?"

Hangeld explained about the Borderer custom. "Father taught me about it. He learned about it while he was with the giants during the Voldemort war."

The rest of Chimera looked at each other. A few minutes later, Emily had a folded parchment with hair from every Chimera present. She looked at it and added a long lock of her own. Rose frowned, and looked around. "Jerrick, if you would, could you get a bit from James and Tiffany?"

Jerrick nodded, and went into the small room where the Soulbonded were lying. He came out a minute later, and handed more hair to Emily. Adam's sharp eyes were the only ones that noticed that there were three shades of hair in the bundle he handed Emily.

Emily left a minute later after saying goodbye to everyone, and was reading her scroll before she was out the door. Jerrick watched her go. "At least she has something to take her mind off Ron," he said quietly. He looked at Chimera. "Right. I hate to do this, but we have business. Rowan finally showed up. He's in the Hogsmeade Inn, and I've paid for him to stay there until James wakes up."

Rose frowned and Jerrick was about to remind her who Rowan was when her face cleared up. "Can he work with us? Can he enchant Muggle things to work here?" Rowan was the name of the Gypsy that had sold Stephanie Spense her enchanted Muggle shoes.

Jerrick sighed. "That's up to James."

Rose stared at him in confusion. Jerrick shrugged. "The old man has a couple of quirks and a strong moral sense. He wants to know what we want to charm and why. I was not about to tell him, and that made him suspicious, so now he's insisting on talking to our leader about it."

Rose nodded. "After James and Tiffany are up, James and I will go down to the village and meet with him. Make sure he sticks around, will you?"

Jerrick nodded. "Jose Amigo reports that a lot of the more extreme criminal Wizards from England are disappearing to somewhere and nobody has seen them. Father and the Aurors say the same thing, and report that Wizard crime is at the lowest ebb in years."

Rose frowned. "What does that mean?"

Jerrick sat back and considered her question. "There are a number of possibilities. The one my father and I favor is that they're being recruited by someone and moved into hidden areas for whatever that person has in mind. We could be wrong however, and they could have all individually decided to move to another country and start fresh somewhere they are not known."

He considered the matter some more. "There are a couple of other possibilities, but they're only remotely possible, so we're not seriously considering them. The Aurors are passing the descriptions of the missing criminals to other nations, so that if they show up somewhere else, we'll know about it."

Jerrick finished his report and then looked at Lisa. "The last bit of that information you wanted is here, and it appears that you were correct. Father doesn't like your plan, but he will go along with it for now. He also says that if things change, he will send you an owl, telling you about his actions."

Lisa nodded and then looked at Jerrick. "Before or after he does it?"

Jerrick shrugged. "Knowing father, he'll send the owl as he's leaving to do it, so that he can say that he sent it first, but too late for anyone to do anything about it."

The rest of Chimera was looking at Lisa in confusion. She looked at them. "It's not a big deal. I just need some insurance." She smiled thinly. "It's just the Game of Houses."

Rose looked at her. "If you need help, we're here for you."

Lisa nodded. "I know, but this piece of the Game is mine to play."

Jerrick got up to leave. "That's all I will have until I finish going through all the things that accumulated during our absence. I'll let you know if anything important comes up." He looked at Chimera. "Father sends his condolences, and his congratulations. There is a letter from him addressed to Chimera in your mail. I suggest you read it."

Rose smiled faintly. "Can't I just ask you what's in it?"

Jerrick raised an injured eyebrow. "As if I would ever admit going through your mail." He grinned at them. "You'll have to work harder than that to catch me up." Jerrick paused at the door, looking back at the bedridden team. "I hope you come back soon. We need you all."

Trea Cale stared after him. "That is one of the strangest people I've ever met." She turned and looked at the group in bed. "And given the people I've been meeting lately, that is really saying something."

Lisa smiled at her. "You have no idea." Lisa frowned at her. "Why are you here anyway? Aren't you supposed to be at Base Camp one, doing your training?"

Trea nodded. "Yes, but after the incident, everyone wanted to know what happened, and since I was doing well, they sent me to find out. What happened to Ron, and why did we know about it?"

Melissa sighed. "You know about the 'Final Moments' spell James has on everyone?" At Trea's affirmative nod, Melissa continued, "it seems that it works better than James knew. As far as I know right now, everybody in Manticore felt Ron's passing."

Trea stared at her. "Passing?" She paled and closed her eyes. "You mean he died?"

The silence of the Chimeras was all the answer she needed. "Is that going to happen every time a Manticore dies?"

Melissa shrugged. "We don't know yet. It may have been the proximity to the Heart of the World that did it, or it may do that for every one of us."

Trea frowned. "Can you tell me about it, so I can tell the others what happened?"

The group in bed looked at each other. "None of us know the whole story, we were casting the ritual and were a bit groggy by then. Ask Sonya, or one of the others that was there. You would probably get the best answer from Professor Evans."

Trea shook her head. "I can't ask him. He's gone, along with that other American, Mr. Twofeathers."

Rose looked up, frowning. "Where did they go?"

Trea frowned. "As near as I could tell, from a conversation I overheard this morning, he found a sable sword, and went looking for the owner, or something like that."

Rose sat up. "A sable sword, or Sable's sword?"

Trea frowned. "I'm not sure, why? Does it mean something to you?"

Rose nodded absently as she thought about it. "Sable is his Lifemate, bonded in the Borderer way. She went missing a few years ago, and he's been searching for her ever since. If one of the giants had her sword out there, it's the first clue he's had in over five years."

Trea stared at her. "She's been missing for more than five years?" At Rose's nod, Trea shook her head. "Most people would have given up by now."

Hangeld sighed. "He's lifemated, bound to her in love and honor forever. Even if she was dead, he would never stop mourning her, and he would never remarry. It's what a lifemating means."

Trea blinked. "Forever?"

Hangeld looked at her. "Forever," he confirmed.

Trea shook her head. "I owe Jerrick an apology. He's not the strangest person I've met." Trea tried to image binding herself to one person forever, living or dead and simply could not do it. There were people she liked, and a boy she might love, but if he left her or died, she knew she would one day love again.

Hangeld smiled as he read the thoughts passing across her face. "Don't worry about it. Only a dozen or so couples in a generation take the Lifemate bonding, and all of them are something special to see together, a lot like James and Tiffany."

Trea shook her head and changed the subject, telling them about the training and their progress this summer. The Beauxbatons people were doing fairly well in most things although the physical training was a shock to them. All of them were wizards, used to using magic for almost everything, and the sudden change to doing without magic and with sheer muscle power had shocked them badly.

She grinned at Lisa. "Lacy appears to have an extraordinary talent with the weapons. She's scored better than everyone at camp this year, and better than ninety-four percent of all the Manticores overall. She said to tell you that she expects an owl or two now that you're back."

Lisa smiled, thinking of the girl she'd befriended when Beauxbatons was at Hogwarts. "Good for her." She smiled again, a rather sly smile. Ginny Potter saw it, and was forcibly reminded that Lisa and Draco Malfoy were related. Lisa's smile didn't have the same cruel twist to it, but it was a sly smile, which would have been in place on any Slytherin face. "Ask her if she's care to test her skills for a bit of money."

Trea looked at Lisa and her smile. "I'll pass that along," she said thoughtfully, "but I think I'll include a warning about your smile as well. She is, after all, a feline, not a magical."

Chimera looked at each other. "She's a what?" asked Emma in confusion.

Trea looked at her. "She's a feline. All the Beauxbatons teams are named after big cats, just as all your teams have the names of magical beasts. I am a Lion, and she's the Tiger team leader."

Emma nodded in understanding. "How many teams do you have, anyway?"

"Four. Lion, Tiger, Cheetah and Jaguar. That gives us enough people to defend Beauxbatons and have two teams in reserve. Beauxbatons is built a bit differently than Hogwarts, and since we are defending a place, not hunting and seeking the enemy, we're organizing a bit differently than you are."

They discussed the differences in their respective trainings for a bit and then Trea left to talk to Sonya. Rose asked her to send the team leaders in as she went out. They came in, finding places to sit or lean.

Arthur Weasley was sitting on his little sister's bed, having gone directly to Emma when he came in. "We may have a problem. Some of the Manticores are seriously shaken over Ron's death. I'm hearing murmurs of people wanting to leave Manticore."

Rose frowned, automatically trying to look down the future paths, only to stop as the bell tinkled again and Madame Potter came out of her office. "One more time, and all of you will be sleeping until the Sorting Ceremony." Rose blushed and nodded meekly.

Rose nibbled at the ball of her thumb as she thought about what the team leaders were saying. "Right. We've got to stop this, but there is nothing we can do right now." She thought about it. "This is what we're going to do. You have to convince the people in your teams to wait, as no one can be released until James and Tiffany are awake and functioning anyway. That will give me time to try and keep them, or to have measures in place if they insist on leaving."

Debra Valentine, Dragon's team leader looked at Rose curiously. "Measures?" she questioned.

Rose shrugged, still thinking about the problem. She answered the question absently. "If someone insists on leaving, we'll have to set them free, but James is not going to allow anyone to run around with all that information in their head without knowing they're under an oath. Since all the families know as well, we'll have to _Obliviate_ them and their families."

The team leaders looked at each other. Zachary Moore, the Unicorn team leader from Hufflepuff frowned. "You can't just _Obliviate_ a dozen people like that."

Rose just looked at him for a minute. "Yes, actually we can. Having a large number of people not bound by oaths or other means would be too dangerous to the remaining Manticores. I consider erasing the memories of a dozen people a small price to pay to keep our people safe."

Rose looked at each of the team leaders in turn, thinking about Ron. When she spoke again her voice was raw and filled with pain. "We will lose more people, but I will do everything it takes to bring as many through the war as I can, and if that includes Obliviating half the world to keep our secrets, so be it."

The group thought about it quietly until Debra spoke again. "As much as I hate to admit it, she's right. We all know about security, and having people out there who know all of our secrets but don't have the protections of Manticore would not be good." She hesitated, biting her lip. "Speaking of secrets, where is Maynard Winchester?"

Rose blinked. "What do you mean?"

Debra raised an eyebrow. "He's missing. No one will admit to having seen him since we returned and Sphinx won't even say his name." She frowned thoughtfully, thinking back. "After the last battle, he was unconscious, and he was brought back by Phoenix. He was brought to the infirmary with the other wounded, all of whom were released after being treated, except for you. Maynard is the only one that didn't return, but he's not here either."

Rose frowned. _"May-ling, what do you know about Maynard?"_ She was fairly certain that she knew, but she wanted to make certain.

"_He did something terrible, I think. Sphinx won't talk about it, but every time someone mentions him, they get angry all over again. I think he had something to do with Ron's death." _ May-ling sent. _"Do you want me to ask Richard?"_

"_No, I know everything I need to know. I'll tell you about it later."_ Rose looked at the team leaders. Richard March was being quiet, but the look in his eyes effectively stopped questions. "The Manticores need to know what happened, Richard."

Richard looked at Rose. "Sphinx doesn't know anyone with that name." Richard March was a good man, and accepting of almost anything, and the other team leaders were shocked to hear his savage tone.

The other team leaders looked at each other. Arthur Weasley had been thinking about the situation, and now he frowned. "What about the link?"

Richard flicked a glance in his direction. "There is no one in my link who could be the person you're discussing, and that is all I'm going to say about it."

A chill seemed to pass through the room. None of the linked people could imagine losing the link, and the thought of being cut out of it made them shudder. Melissa was talking to Rose, and now she looked at Richard. "Richard, would you get me something, please?"

Richard looked at her and smiled wryly. "If you simply want to tell them what happened, go ahead. Sphinx will not discuss it, but we understand that the rest of you will want to know."

Melissa nodded. "I was offering you a chance to leave," she said gently, "so I could tell them without hurting you again."

Richard sighed. "It can't hurt any worse than it does now."

Melissa looked at him for a minute, and then turned to the other team leaders. "Sphinx is holding Maynard responsible for Ron's death." The team leaders stared at Richard, and turned their attention back to Melissa as she told them what had happened during the last battle.

"He froze?" asked Conor McCloud, looking at Richard for confirmation.

Richard's eyes were a strange mixture of anger and grief. "He did, and it was cover him that Ron left his position. His cowardice caused Ron's death."

Zachary Moore frowned. "I understand that you don't want him in your team anymore, but acting as if he is Voldemort is going a bit far, don't you think? He tried to be one of us at least, and it's not his fault that he couldn't make the grade."

Richard shrugged. "It doesn't matter. He is not one of us. We don't care what he does now, but he will never again be a Sphinx."

The other team leaders looked at each other. Further discussion of the matter was interrupted by Madame Potter and another woman. "If you're not confined to a bed, it's time to leave. We have to do some work here."

The team leaders said their goodbyes and left. Chimera was examining the new woman. She was tall and thin, almost gaunt. She had the Xavier eyes though, so dark brown as to be almost black, as well as the black hair and general look. Her hair was greying, and lines etched themselves in her face. She looked at Melissa. "I read your report on links. You're holding a few things back, but overall, it was very good work."

Melissa blushed. "Thank you, Ms. Xavier."

The woman smiled. "Formality is for strangers and patients. You are kin, and a colleague. My name is Miranda."

Melissa blushed again, flushing a deeper red. "Kin, yes, but I have a long way to go before I am in your class, Miranda."

Miranda's smile turned to a laugh. "I've been a healer for nearly sixty years. When you have been one as long as I have, you'll be as good as I am."

Melissa was practically glowing, she was so red. "Uh, I, I." She stopped, hiding her face as she stuttered to a stop.

Emma was watching her curiously. _"What's the matter with you? She's being nice."_

Melissa left her face covered as she answered her over the link. _"Emma, that's Miranda Xavier, the very best of us all. She's a legend in the Clan."_ Sensing that Emma's confusion was only growing she looked for a way to make Emma understand. _ "Emma, what would you say if Professor Dumbledore treated you as an equal, and said you were as good as he was?"_

Emma blinked. _"I'd say he was nutters."_

"_Well, she's as good as the Headmaster, in her field, possibly better. She has written four books, all of them required reading for every healer."_ Melissa's mental tone was wistful. _ "If I am half as good as she is in sixty years, I'll be happy."_

Miranda was watching the two of them. "Melissa, don't sell yourself short." Melissa looked back at her, surprised. "You are capable of everything I do, if you apply yourself after your little problem is over."

She looked at the others. "Right now though, I'm going to examine you all. Madame Potter wants another opinion about you all. Before you ask, I know about Manticore, and what you face. She had to tell me so I could treat Mr. Evans and Miss Potter." She looked at Rose. "I'm going to start with you, as you are the closest to what Mr. Evans should look like. Can you join me over here, please?"

Rose got up and the two of them went into a private room. Melissa was still thinking about what Miranda had said and the other Chimeras were watching the room Rose had gone into. Emma looked at Melissa. "Is she really that good?"

Melissa looked up. "She's the very best Healer in the Xavier Clan. Some of us think she's the best we've ever had." The other Chimeras looked at the room Miranda Xavier had taken Rose into. The Xaviers had been healers for centuries, responsible for hundreds, possibly thousands of cures, potions, treatments and antidotes in the Wizard world. Anyone this Clan thought was their best Healer would be remarkable.

Rose was watching Miranda curiously. She'd heard a great deal about this woman from Melissa and she was intensely curious to see what kind of person could command so much of Melissa's respect. Miranda closed the door and turned to Rose. "You're the Seer, correct?" At Rose's nod, Miranda frowned. "Do you know how much of your magical talent it takes to use your Foresight talent?"

Rose blinked. "Not really. I know there have been times I couldn't use it, but I haven't actually thought about it."

Miranda was examining Rose carefully. "I'm going to use my talent now. If it makes you feel anything painful, let me know." While Rose was wondering what she meant, Miranda extended her hands. The leaf green glow that Rose had seen so many times on Melissa's hands glimmered over Miranda's hands and then started flowing over Rose.

Rose froze, watching the glow. It grew, covering Rose completely, something Melissa had never been able to do. Melissa had often used Rose to practice her talent on, and it had always been warm and relaxing. Miranda's touch though, was warm, but tingled, as if a low voltage shock was crawling across her skin.

Miranda was watching Rose. "You've been touched many times with the talent. Are you that accident prone, or is Melissa using you to practice?"

Rose frowned. "She uses me for practice. How did you know?"

Miranda continued her examination as she answered Rose. "Everyone has scars. They may only be little things, from the usual childhood scrapes, but they are there, under the skin. Think of them as places where the skin is thicker, like a seam. A good healer can remove those seams, but most people don't even know they are there, so healers don't usually bother. You don't have any, and after examining your brother, I was expecting to find a few at least."

Rose grinned. "I wouldn't have nearly as many as he does. James has a different idea of acceptable consequences than I do."

Miranda smiled. "I can tell. I may stay around a few days after he wakes up, just to find out how such a young man can have so many animal related scars." She frowned. "You've been shot, with one of those Muggle guns."

Rose turned her best innocent look on Miranda. "It was just one of those childhood things."

Miranda snorted. "Poppycock. I can feel your emotions, Miss Evans. That scar is tied into a good many emotions."

Rose blinked, trying to find an acceptable answer that did not include telling Miranda about the events surrounding their alteration of the twin bond they'd been born with into something far more. Miranda was watching her face as she finished and the green glow faded back into her hands. "Don't worry about it. I don't need to know the why, just that it did happen. Right now I have far more important questions for you."

With that, Miranda began asking about James. Dozens of questions about his habits, both physical and mental, as well as his typical dietary patterns. After nearly an hour of these questions, Rose couldn't wait any longer. "What do you need all these information for? Is James going to be OK?"

Miranda sighed. "Mr. Evans will be OK, as you put it, for now. I am trying to insure that he is OK for the rest of his life. The aging of the Soulbond and whatever you did at the Heart of the World has to be reversed, or the two of them will have problems later on in life. The rapid aging of the Soulbond has always meant the couple has a short lifespan, as the human body is not meant to operate at the levels the Soulbonded do for very long."

She stopped to get a drink of water, offering Rose a glass at the same time. "With Mr Evans and Miss Potter, the ritual did something more to them, and it has nearly destroyed the delicate balance that a body needs to function properly." Miranda raised her hand to forestall the questions bubbling up out of Rose. "Allow me to finish. The two of them will be fine once they have recovered from whatever they were doing while you were casting that spell. However, you cannot abuse the body the way the Soulbond and the ritual have done without paying for it."

She stood up, stretching her back. "Muggles have long names for the types of problems they'll have as they reach middle age, but since I plan on stopping most of it, I'm not going to go into it now. I needed that information about James so I would know what he should be like, without the effects of the Soulbond."

She sat back down and pulled a thick sheet of parchment from a small bag. "I have spent the last two days asking Mr and Mrs Potter about Tiffany, and I have a very good picture of where she should be, mostly because Madame Potter kept very good records, medically speaking."

She grinned at Rose. "Your parents will be here tomorrow, and apparently your mother has extensive records on James. That will help me reduce them to an age that will allow them to live normal lives."

She smiled at Rose's expression. "Yes, I am going to return them to the age they should be." Miranda frowned. "Almost, anyway. The training you Manticores do has built too much adult muscle on them, and I cannot return them to mid-puberty without doing things to that mass. The best I will be able to do is bring them back to about sixteen physically, and allow them to grow naturally from there."

Rose thought about it for several minutes. "If I am following you," she said, thinking the whole thing through, "James and Tiffany are like Muggle athletes on steroids right now, and you're going to clean the effects away, and make them grow up normally."

Miranda nodded. "Very good. That is an apt analogy for the situation. They grew too much, too fast and we have to reverse it and allow them to grow older naturally."

Miranda studied Rose thoughtfully for several minutes. "I believe that a patient's mental well being has a great effect on their physical being. The two in the other room are fine in that regard. You, though, have many things that I am concerned about."

Rose looked away. "I really don't want to talk about it."

Miranda smiled gently. "Which it? The secret you keep, I am not worried about. James has it, and all of the Chimeras as well. I asked your parents about it, and I am reassured by them that they know what it is, and they are watching it. I assume that it must be an Evans Clan thing."

Rose winced. "You're close enough."

Miranda nodded. "Good enough. There are a couple of things I would like to talk to you about though. What happened at the ritual that you feel such guilt about?"

Rose closed her eyes, feeling the hot sting of tears again as she remembered her choice. "That is the one I am not ready to talk about yet."

Miranda watched her, seeing and feeling the turmoil Rose was experiencing. "I will not insist now, but you need to talk to someone about it. If you let it fester, it will come back to bite you later, like an unhealed wound."

Rose nodded. "I will talk to Melissa about it."

Miranda raised an eyebrow. "You talk to her about a lot of things, don't you?"

Rose smiled. "She's my second best friend, right after James." She blushed. "I know May-ling should be, but I just haven't known her as long, and since Melissa and I are linked." Rose shrugged, unable to articulate the feelings she had.

Miranda sighed. "You love her."

Rose flushed a deep red. "Of course I do. She's my friend."

Miranda sighed again. "Rose, I know what you feel for her, and it's not friendly."

The older woman stared at Rose patiently. Rose finally sighed. "Empaths are a pain." Miranda smiled at her. "I might have some feelings that are not normal," Rose admitted.

Miranda snorted. "Not normal? Are they the result of a potion, or a spell? Were you forced to have them somehow?"

Rose stared at her quizzically. "No."

"Then how are they not normal?" Miranda asked, raising an eyebrow. "Unless you mean not normal by society standards." At Rose's nod, Miranda sighed again. "Child, I've been reading my patients for more than half a century, and let me tell you something. Those feelings are far more common than you would believe."

Rose flushed again. "Miss Evans, just relax. If it is meant to be." She stopped as Rose's emotions flared. Miranda studied Rose trying to figure out what had caused that intense emotional surge. She thought about what she'd said. "I see. You are wondering if you like her simply because the Prophecy says you will."

Rose looked at her hands. "I have to wonder about it," she said bitterly. "We've seen too many examples of the Prophecy at work for me not to believe it can sway events to suit itself."

Miranda thought about it. "This is not my area of knowledge. You're talking about Metaphysics, not healing. I have no answers for you, but I will leave you with something to think about."

Rose looked at her. Miranda hesitated, looking for the words to express what she was thinking. "You have always had a tight mental bond, first with James, and then Chimera and now all of them and May-ling. Would you really be happy with anyone you didn't have that same kind of bond with, or would you always feel that something was missing?"

Rose thought about it, considering the idea. "I don't know," she admitted.

Miranda stood up. "Think about that, and consider that your feelings are because Melissa is right for you and not the result of someone's vision eight hundred years ago." She smiled gently at Rose. "Whatever you do, you need to talk to Melissa about it one of these days. It's not something that only concerns you. She has a say in this as well."

Miranda ushered Rose out and took Melissa into the room next. The rest of the Chimeras didn't take as long as Rose had and by dinner, all of them, even Hangeld and Emma had been released from the Infirmary.

Chimera went to dinner together, and found just a single table in the Hall. Most of the Manticores were there already, although they were very quiet. May-ling was the first to look up when Chimera entered the Hall and a few seconds later she impacted on Rose, nearly knocking her over.

The rest of Manticore was not far behind, and all thoughts of dinner fled before the hugs and touches of the Manticores. Melissa finally got clear and stood on a bench. "May I have your attention please?"

The Manticores quieted down, and turned to face Melissa. "Miranda Xavier has examined James and Tiffany. The mission was a success, and they will be back with us soon." A quiet murmur grew among the Manticores, along with a few cheers. Melissa waited until they were quiet again. "I know that Madame Potter and Ms Xavier are usually less than forthcoming with information, and I thought you deserved to know what was going on. Anyone that wants more details than that will have to wait though, I haven't eaten in awhile, and I'm going to see if I can eat as much as Hangeld tonight."

Emma was smiling later that night, as they prepared for bed. "It will be nice to sleep in a real bed again. I was getting tired of having things poke me in the side."

"I know what you mean, although running water is far more important," said Lisa. "A long hot bath has to be the greatest thing ever."

Melissa smirked at her. "How much of that is because Adam was scrubbing your back?"

Lisa blushed, and got into bed. "That was merely a bonus."

Emma looked at Lisa in shock. "You were nude with Adam?" she asked.

Lisa got into her bed and leaned on her arm, facing Emma. "Yes. I love him and we've just had a very good look at what could happen to us. I'm not going to regret anything we do." Lisa looked away, her eyes far away, as she thought. "I think that if I didn't let him know every day just how much he means to me, and something happened to him, I'd always regret the things we never did."

The other girls were silent as they considered her words. They drifted into an exhausted sleep still thinking about it.

Chimera slept late the next morning, until the link exploded, an overwhelming rage wiping the blocks they had against accidental intrusions away as if they were tissue paper. The rage grew and built, joined by a wildly despairing grief, deep enough to bring tears to all their eyes. Under the grief was fear, and self loathing.

"James!" Rose knew this touch, she'd known it all her life, but never had she felt James like this. Rose was halfway out of the common room before the rest of Chimera could shield enough to think coherently, let alone act, but they streamed after her, Wands and weapons in hand.

Rose could feel James, and she knew that the boy that was supposed to be sleeping in the Infirmary had no business on the far side of the lake. He was doing something also. Something magical and Tiffany, usually the brake on his impetuousness was actively helping him.

In the main Hall, Professors Snape and McGonagall were on their way out of breakfast when Ginny Potter appeared with Miranda. "They're gone, both of them."

The two Professors looked at each other and Professor McGonagall went to find the Headmaster. Ginny was nearly beside herself. "Where could they be?"

Professor Snape looked up. "Ask her." The two Healers looked back. Rose was taking the stairs four steps at a time, and hit a stair with the edge of her foot, falling the last seven stairs. The three adults didn't have a chance to move, as she rolled with the fall, coming up in that dead run toward the main doors.

Professor Snape stepped in front of her, expecting her to stop, but Rose stutter stepped to go around him. The Potions Master grabbed for her, catching her nightshirt, and slowing her. Her head whipped around, still full of the emotions swamping the link. Rose uttered a short phrase in Lakota and Professor Snape had one short second realize he was in trouble.

Rose's eyes changed, becoming something older than humanity and the Being sharing the young girl's body held both hands out, fingers spread.

Professor Snape was blown across the main hall, flying toward the far wall as if kicked by a dragon. The Professor's career and life might have ended then and there if Professor Dumbledore had not entered the Hall in time to see him heading for a sudden stop, headfirst into the wall. He reacted as he had where Harry had fallen off his broom so many years ago, first slowing and then cushioning the impact, and still it was not enough.

Professor Snape hit the wall with the ugly crack of breaking bones and fell to the floor, silent and limp.

Rose hadn't even noticed as she resumed her flight toward the doors. Professor Dumbledore did not know what was going on, only that James and Tiffany were missing, Rose had just thrown a Professor nearly twenty meters into a wall, and that he wanted more information. He glanced at the doors and they locked in response to his power.

Rose hit the door, and once again there was the sound of a bone breaking. She stopped, but before anyone could say anything, the Being/girl held out their hands again. The doors resisted, and Rose glowed, as a great bear shape, a swirling misty shape formed around her. The bear joined his magic to the Being and the girl.

Four seconds later, the front doors of Hogwarts simply ceased to exist, disappearing forever in an explosion that shook the hall. Splinters and dust were still shooting up when Rose went through the hole. The short battle had slowed her enough that the rest of Chimera was passing the Professors when she disappeared. Hangeld was the next one to go by, followed by the rest of them, almost all in their animal forms, as they would never catch Rose any other way.

Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall were joined by a dozen Manticores who had still been in breakfast when the explosion alerted them to something happening. They all streamed out of the doorway and were on the front steps of Hogwarts when Professor Dumbledore stopped.

The Headmaster of Hogwarts had certain spells available to him or her while they were the Headmaster. One of them warned the Headmaster of any dangerous buildup of Magic.

That spell was sounding in the Headmaster's head now. Somewhere on the other side of the lake, two people were joining, and sharing magic in a way he didn't understand. Of course, Albus Dumbledore can be excused for that, as he'd never had a Soulbond or its advantages.

Before Rose was at the lake, the swelling magic disappeared for a split second.

Then a flash of light bright enough to make the people on the steps squint exploded from the far side of the lake, and a second later, they heard the explosion. Even as they heard it, a dust cloud was rising, nearly thirty meters high.

Behind the group, another thump made them whirl around, the Manticores leading with Wands and knives. May-ling had further to go, and less muscle than the others. She'd barely reached the hall when James and Tiffany, under the twin prodding of self-loathing and guilt, did whatever they'd done, and disappeared from the links completely.

Not ever the faint feel of an unconscious person remained. Three seconds later, the worst case of linkshock any of them had ever felt dropped Chimera and May-ling like puppets with their strings cut.


	35. Desperation and Despair

_Right... I upload the pre-beta version, and that same day, my Beta fixes the email problem, and I get the Beta read version back. Here's the final version of this chapter and before you ask, I'm already working on chapter 36. It's going to cover quite a bit, possibly up to the Yule holidays... but it's still not going to be that long, so it should be along soon. In the meantime, you should take a look at Shades of Grey... which is going to go much further than this story will, as far as AU goes._

_This Chapter is Dedicated to my new Beta, Veena._

_May thy Path be ever smooth and the wind always at thy back._

_**Desperation and Depression**_

Professor Dumbledore looked at the bodies littering the grounds of Hogwarts and started issuing orders crisply. "Mrs. Potter, Madame Xavier, take Professor Snape and May-ling to the Infirmary. Mr. Clearwater, rally your Phoenixes, collect Chimera and take them to the Infirmary. Mr. March, Miss Gebbs, take your teams out to that dust cloud and find James and Tiffany. I shall assume they need the Infirmary as well. Move, people."

People started moving. Professor Dumbledore might be a kindly man, but he'd been fighting Dark Wizards for nearly a century, and he could issue commands better than any Manticore team leader.

Miranda Xavier went to Professor Snape first. She cast a diagnostic spell and swore under her breath. The man's neck was broken. He was not dead yet, but it was a near thing. She started working on him, not stopping except to tell the two students who showed up with a stretcher to stand by.

Sonya and Richard had barely gathered their teams when a general call came over the rings. "Professor Hagrid is enroute from his cabin, and he has James and Tiffany." Sonya's team met him halfway, and put the two on stretchers, taking them to the Infirmary as the Grounds keeper continued to Professor Dumbledore. "Headmaster, I have to tell you something."

Albus Dumbledore paused. Hagrid had never sounded so formal or worried. "Come with me, Hagrid." The Headmaster took Hagrid off to one side from where he could keep an eye on the recovery efforts. "What is it, Hagrid?"

The big man handed the older Wizard a twisted and mangled amulet on a chain. "I've been hiding James and Tiffany in my cabin for four days, Sir. James had this in his hand when I found them."

Professor Dumbledore frowned, until he identified the thing in his hand. He looked at it and sighed. James' plan was very clear now. Impossible, but clear. If Chimera and James survived this bit of desperation, he was going to get a complete inventory of everything Manticore had. Professor Dumbledore closed his hand around the twisted remains of the Time Turner.

James had tried to use the Time Turner to go back far enough to do something about Ron's death, the Headmaster was as certain of that as if he'd planned it instead of James. That meant going back at least seven days. The problem was that a Time Turner could only send you back forty-eight hours at most.

Well, that was the theory anyway. James and Tiffany had gone back at least four days, something Albus had believed impossible. What he didn't understand was how James had expected to be able to do anything about the problem while the two of them were in linkshock.

He looked at Hagrid. "How did you know to hide them until now, Hagrid?"

Hagrid pulled a note from his pocket. "James and Tiffany had one of these in every pocket in their robes." He handed it to the Headmaster. "They also had a note for Chimera, but I haven't opened it, as the instructions say, 'Open only in case of emergency'. I think it may be time to open it." He handed a letter to the Headmaster.

Professor Dumbledore opened the first note.

"_To whomever finds us and this;_

_If our work was correct, it is the 17th of June. If it is, send the message in this envelope to Sonya Gebbs by the fastest owl you can find. If it is the 18th, get this message to Professor Dumbledore, and ask him to send it by Fawkes. If it is any day after that, do nothing, we failed. We will remain unconscious until the 26th of June, when we need to return to the Infirmary. Whatever you do, do not allow any Manticore to know we are_

_here. We have done something risky, and they must not know what until after the 26th of June. Until that date, leave us to sleep, in physical contact. You will know when to return us to the Infirmary, because Madame Potter will be looking for us. After she starts looking, we can be returned at any time._

_I repeat: No Manticore can know we are here. To assist you with that, take the yellow stone from my pocket and set it on a flat surface within two meters of us. Tap it twice with your fingers, and it should start glowing. If it doesn't, don't worry about it. I have no way to test this without letting anyone know about it._

_Thank you for your assistance. If something goes wrong, get this note to Professor Dumbledore as soon as possible._

_James Evans."_

Albus Dumbledore sighed. The plan had been simple, and might have worked, except the Time Turner simply couldn't handle the amount of time they'd tried to go back. He went to the Infirmary, where he found Madame Potter working on Chimera. He caught her eye and told her what James and Tiffany had tried.

Ginny Potter cursed quite well, he decided a minute later. She stopped, looking at him. "And the worst bit is, I can't even hit him for risking Tiffany like this, because she'd feel it as well." She frowned. "You might want to find a Potions Master for this year as well. Professor Snape may not be able to teach."

This was the first Albus had heard of this. "What is wrong with him?" he asked, concerned about the man who served him for twenty years.

Ginny sighed. "When he hit the wall, his neck was broken. Miranda has him stabilized, but that is an extremely tricky injury. We were lucky that she was here for the other thing, and could treat him. I don't know if I could have kept him from being paralyzed for a year or more before I could heal him." Ginny looked at him, nervousness in her eyes. "What was that thing, Professor, and what was the bear shape? How did they do that to Professor Snape and the doors?"

Albus was about to answer her when another voice spoke. "That was a Spirit Guide and a manifestation of the Great Spirit. Rose asked them to help her reach her brother, offering them a future favour for their help." James' teacher, Terrence was standing in the doorway. "As for your doors, they were made of wood. After the Great Spirit broke the magic on them, the Spirit Guide simply poured more magic into them than they could hold, like over inflating a balloon."

The two of them looked at him. He looked at the headmaster. "Hello, Albus. I may have to skip our meeting tonight. The twins have stirred up many of the local spirits, and I might be busy tonight."

Albus smiled briefly. "I think busy might be an understatement. We will meet next week."

Terrence frowned at the bodies in the Infirmary. "What did James and Tiffany do? I could feel the power flows, but I could not tell what they were doing. I was on my way to investigate when I heard the explosion."

Professor Dumbledore told him what the Soulbonded had tried. Terrence frowned. "They were using the Soulbond to amplify their magic. We were experimenting with it, but I had not realized they could build that amount of power yet. I think James is hiding things from me."

Ginny Potter came up to them. "This morning's stupidity has cost them, Albus. Chimera is right back where they were two days ago, and suffering linkshock as well, and May-ling is added to the mix as well. At least Rose's broken shoulder will be fixed by this evening."

Professor Dumbledore sighed. "I thought you were keeping them asleep. How did they get out of the Infirmary, without being caught?"

Ginny frowned. "I don't know yet. I will be asking them that very question if they wake up."

The two men stared at her, as both of them caught the one important word in that statement. "If?" asked Professor Dumbledore.

Ginny blinked, and the headmaster realized she was on the verge of crying. "I can't find any sign of them. Brain activity is minimal, and higher functions are non-existent. Professor, right now, my daughter is not alive. We're keeping the bodies alive with magic, hoping to figure out how to fix this."

Miranda came out of the room where James and Tiffany's bodies lay. She joined the three standing there, hesitating. "Headmaster Dumbledore, may I speak with you?" She looked at Terrence. "Nothing personal, Sir, but I don't know you."

Professor Dumbledore held up his hand. "It is alright to talk in front of Mr. Terrence, Madame Xavier. He is James' teacher and well aware of everything they are doing."

Miranda nodded. "James and Tiffany are not in their bodies. I don't know what they did yet, and I need some help. I need a master of Legilimency and any information I can get about what they did, and how. Maybe I can reconstruct what they did, and what happened to them."

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "I can assist you with the Legilimency, and Mr. Terrence was just telling us about the technique they were using. It appears that they used their Soulbond and some sort of Shaman teaching to try and force a Time Turner to take them back at least seven days."

Miranda frowned. "What is a Time Turner, and why do you make that sound so bad?"

"A Time Turner is exactly what it sounds like, a way to turn back time. James and Tiffany were trying to go back in time and prevent Ron Stone's death in the Giantlands. In order to do so, they would have had to go back to the 17th of June, but a Time Turner can only go back two days maximum, or that was the theory. They managed to force the Time turner to go back four days."

Miranda nodded. "That explains the linkshock, and why it's not as bad as I thought it would be. They were actually only gone for a second or two, by Chimera's viewpoint. They, on the other hand, were out of the Link for four days. That's why they are in such bad shape, compared to the others."

She rubbed her eyes. "I'm going to need you and Mr. Terrence tomorrow, when I start investigating their new condition. Today, I'm going to try and reverse the ageing. I was worried about that, as I think the treatment will be painful for them, and I can't give them any potions during the treatment. But since they aren't feeling anything right now, I'll fix what I can, for now." She looked at Mr. Terrence. "I'll be wanting to talk to you, to get every detail you can tell me about what you taught them, and what they did. Please don't be hard to find when I need to talk to you."

Terrence smiled wryly. "And people wonder why I never got married." He looked at Miranda. "Ma'am," he said patiently, as if talking to a not too bright child, "I may be busy tonight. This little adventure has disturbed a great many local spirits, and as the only Shaman still conscious, it's my place to calm them, contain them or otherwise fix the their problems."

Miranda frowned at him. "The problems of ghosts are not important right now. Keeping those two children from joining them is."

Terrence just shook his head. "Wizards, I swear. You people are the most insular, self-absorbed race on the planet. Worse than Muggles, you are." He looked at Miranda. "The ghosts are the least of my worries today, Witch."

Professor Dumbledore smiled. He and Terrence had been meeting once a week or so, just to talk, and learn things from each other. Terrence was not a Wizard, or a Muggle. He was something in-between. Wizards were people with an inborn ability to do magic, Muggles were people who could not, but between those two groups was a small group of people, who could sense or see magic, but not manipulate it the way Wizards could. These people learned to do a difference kind of magic, called Ritual magic.

Magic had rules, as any Wizard knew. The right incantation and the right wand movement gave you the result you wanted. Ritual magic was based on those rules. Wizards could directly manipulate magic, but the others, including Shamans, Medicine Women and Druids could work with magic by setting up conditions so that the magic did what they wanted. They also used the Spirits of things, an area Albus was very interested in.

According the Terrence, everything in the world had a Spirit. Some were easy to find, some were harder, but if you could talk to the Spirits, you could ask them to do things for you. Most Wizards ignored this, since they could do those things without a Spirit to help, and that was what Terrence was complaining about.

Miranda's eyes flashed in anger. "Pardon me," she said sarcastically, "but I am only interested in the spirits of those two children. Are you going to help, or aren't your students that important?"

Terrence frowned at her. "That depends," he said quietly, "on just which Spirits they have awoken with this bit of foolishness. Some of the things that sleep in the Forbidden Forest are far too dangerous to be ignored even for James and Tiffany."

Ginny stared at him. "Excuse me," she said in disbelief, "but without those two, all of us will be under the foot of the Patient Child when he attacks."

Terrence nodded. "Yes, and?"

"I don't really want to be defeated before the war even starts." Ginny said.

Terrence shrugged. "A few years of evil humanity is not that important, in the long view. There are Spirits that slumber under the world you know, that can sink the very island we stand on, or destroy the world, if enough of them wake up. Compared to that, a thousand years of evil ruling over the world of men is nothing." He looked at the two women, who were staring at him in disbelief and shock. "Evil humans will always be defeated, sooner or later. Angry Spirits cracking the world in half is harder to put right again, which is why I'm more worried about what they might have woken. There are reasons those of us who work with the Spirits do so carefully."

Miranda blinked. "Fine. If you can find the time, will you at least join us for dinner? I can question you during dinner, and then you can go play with your spirits."

Terrence nodded. "I can do that. I can also make sure that you learn not to mock the Spirits, after this little annoyance is settled." Terrence left, and Albus sighed. Dinner was not going to be fun.

Professor Dumbledore went back to his office, and considered the day's events. He sighed. They should have known James would try to do something about Ron's death. Given the extremes that James would go to protecting people he liked, this morning's event was a given. You didn't even need Rose's sight to see James trying something.

Albus sat behind his desk, and sighed again. He was getting old, and not giving as much thought to things any more. He looked at the bookshelf and in response to his thought, one of the books floated over to him. Albus read his Prophecy again.

Harry Potter had his Prophecy, Manticore had theirs, and long ago, during the first few hectic days of the Grindelwald era, Albus had been given a Prophecy of his own. He had not known of it until nearly a decade later, when Grindelwald had already been gone for a year, but he wasn't worried about that part now. It was the final few lines that Albus read again.

"_Three times will the Light call ere you fall,_

_and thrice will you answer that call._

_Yet, twice only will you see the Darkness held."_

Albus sighed. He was certain he would not see the end of this war, and he still had many things he wanted to do before he went on the next great adventure. Professor Dumbledore took out the list he'd started four years ago and checked it again.

Manticore was gathered in the large room in Manticore Tower. Sonya Gebbs was relaying what she'd learned from Madame Potter. "And that is all we know right now. I'll let you all know anything I learn. Until Chimera is back, we will continue to study as normal."

"Why? We can't win without them." Sonya glared in the direction of that comment.

"So what? Winning this war would be nice, but I will fight even if all of Chimera dies tonight." Sonya paced back and forth in front of the group. "Every life I save, every enemy I kill is a victory, and if I can make the enemy's cost high enough, I can help those who will come later, the ones that will defeat the Patient Child."

Sonya looked at the depressed and worried Manticores, and came to a decision. "When I was five, one of the giant tribes lured the Rangers at the Landis Bridge away from the bridge with a fake assault on a nearby town. When the main body of giants started across the bridge, one man barred their path while he sent an owl after the garrison."

Sonya's voice was quiet, and her eyes were far away as she recited a story she knew better than most. "We all know that one man cannot stop an entire tribe, and so did he."

Sonya reached back and stroked Savignon, riding high on her back to keep the tip from dragging the ground. "He also knew that if he did nothing, he would live, but Merlin only knows how many others would die. He made the choice to hold them back as long as he could. It cost the giants twenty-six dead to cross the bridge, and he managed to hold them long enough for the garrison to catch them barely five kilometers into the human lands."

"The giants were driven back across the border, and no civilians were hurt during the Landis Bridge Incident. One Ranger died, knowing he would die, so that he could save the people he was sworn to defend."

Sonya looked at the others. "We don't go into battle to live, or even to win. Those things are nice, and preferred, but the reason we fight is for our families and friends, all those people that cannot fight like we do."

"Look around you. All of you are trained, and you have seen that the people on each side of you can and will fight. Would you rather face a dark wizard with them, or any five random students from Hogwarts?" Sonya watched as the Manticores looked around. "Maybe Chimera will die, although I don't think they will. That will not make any difference in my actions though. I will fight the Patient Child because he is evil, period."

Sonya sighed. "Long ago, a wise man said that all that is needed for evil to win, is that good men do nothing. I may not win, I may not live, but I will not allow evil to happen to my family and friends without doing whatever I can."

Richard March stood up. "I have a more personal reason to fight. Ron was my friend, and I will not dishonor his memory by backing away now. He knew, as all of Sphinx did, that he might die in the Giantlands. James offered us the chance to go to Base Camp One with the Beauxbatons group, and we turned it down. We thought you, all of you were more important than dying, and we still believe that. I follow James, but I fight for all of you and my family."

Arthur Weasley was the next to stand. "I have heard some of you talking about quitting. Nearly fifty years ago, when Voldemort first came to power, few people fought him, and look what the cost was. Are you really willing to let the Patient Child be the next He Who Must Not Be Named?"

Mercy stood up as he sat down. "Tom Riddle was evil, in ways none of us truly understand, and I hope we never do. I made my vow in that hope, but I will still fight the Patient Child with everything I can do, within the limits of my vow, because to do any less would make me as evil as Voldemort."

Nearly thirty Manticores added their bit, telling everyone why they were fighting. Love, Family, Honour, the reasons were as varied as the Manticores who spoke.

Sonya finally reclaimed the floor, after the last Manticore that wanted to speak had stood up and said her bit. "James has always told us that Manticore is purely voluntary, and I will not change that. We do not have the bell here, but I will send an owl to Base Camp One tomorrow, asking for one. When it gets here, I will hang it in the courtyard outside the Tower."

Sonya was referring to the bell that hung at Base Camp, where the Manticores went for training. Ringing the bell would release you from all your oaths and remove you from Manticore. The Manticores looked at each other. Sonya came to a stop, facing the Manticores. "It is your choice, but I would think carefully about quitting if I were you. Death is to be avoided if possible, but if you quit, you'll never avoid wondering what might have been."

Jerrick stood up. "Sonya gave you one quote, and I have one as well. Before you quit, think about this and the reasoning behind it. 'A brave man dies a single death, a coward dies a thousand deaths.' Manticore will survive, no matter how many of you walk away. The question you have to ask yourself is simple. Can you look yourself in the mirror every morning if you leave?"

Jerrick looked at the others. "When the paper reports the death toll of Manticores, and you see names that you trained with, people you liked or fought with, will you be able to face yourself, knowing you might have made the difference between life and death for them?"

The group broke up, with friends talking to friends, or people going off to think about their options alone, each person seeking solace in their own way.

Sonya sat down and carefully cleaned and sharpened Savignon, the familiar ritual allowing her to think clearly.

Jerrick buried himself in the reports that had come in while Manticore was in the Giantlands, letting his thoughts wander in his subconscious mind until he was ready to face them.

The Weasley brothers flew out to the Pitch, and sat on top of the northern goals, talking quietly.

Mercy went to the Infirmary, losing herself in making simple potions, with the silent assistance of Diana Bray and Jayne Godfrey.

Richard March and Sphinx sat down to discuss the unassigned Manticores, trying to decide which two would replace their missing members.

Hufflepuff's Unicorn team sat down and started making a memorial for Ron, while they quietly discussed what they would do.

Dinner was silent, as Mercy reported that there were no changes in the status of Chimera, broken only by the intense talk of Terrence and Miranda Xavier at the head table.

Sonya told the Manticores that she expected to see them all for PT in the morning, and went to bed, waking in the night to find Savignon across the head of her bed, within easy reach.

The next morning, Mercy told everyone at PT that most of Chimera was awake and aware this morning, and that Miranda and Professor Dumbledore were working on James and Tiffany. By lunchtime, the Manticores had given up all pretense, and were outside the Infirmary, holding a silent vigil, waiting for Professor Dumbledore or Madame Potter to tell them what was going on.

In the Infirmary, Professor Dumbledore had tried to read James and Tiffany, only to find the defenses James had placed on Chimera. They were quite simple, and yet highly effective. The only way to read the minds of Chimera was to have a link with them, and use it. Any other attempt caused several things to happens, the least of which was a blast of Tiffany's Pyromancy.

Professor Dumbledore continued, using the Final Moments link to get into James' mind. As Miranda had told them, there was no sign of the pair in their conscious minds, and Professor Dumbledore reached further, into James' subconscious mind.

He entered the deepest regions of James' mind and was assaulted by images of death and despair. Professor Dumbledore reached, tightening the barriers around his mind, searching for the spark of life that was James.

As he searched for James, he saw the scenes James was seeing, flashes of moments when James had made mistakes that cost somebody else.

A Unicorn with a broken leg, struggling to escape from a cage.

Two little girls, being held by a wild-eyed Muggle with a gun.

Rose, lying on a floor, silent and still, bleeding profusely from her leg.

Ron Stone, laid out in Honour, with the weapons of giants around him.

A shadowy figure, standing above Chimera and casting a spell with the Draconian Codex.

All of these, and more, involving every mistake James had ever made filled his thoughts, the images flashing by continuously, assaulting the viewer with pictures and emotions, feelings of inadequacy and uselessness.

The Headmaster came out of James' mind. He simply didn't know how to find James in his own mind, but he knew who would. He stood up and went into the infirmary. Chimera was waiting there, watching the door. When Professor Dumbledore came out Rose went pale, and the rest were right behind her.

"Miss Evans, I find that I am in need of your assistance. Would you come with me, please?"

Rose got up with Madame Potter's assistance and the three of them went into the room where James and Tiffany lay. "I do not know Mr. Evans well enough to follow the threads of his mind to where ever the two of them are. You do, and I will help you enter his mind."

Rose reached with her twin link. The images and emotions sweeping through James flooded the link, threatening to overwhelm her until she felt another touch in her mind as May-ling and Melissa threw their support to her, giving her a place of safety in the tsunami spinning though her mind.

She reached for James, aware of Professor Dumbledore doing something, easing her passage into James' mind. She knew exactly what she was looking for and even so it took her several subjective hours to find it. May-ling was with her all the way, but Melissa stopped, providing an anchor for them both.

Rose could feel the connection to Melissa like a thin line, a brightly glowing string that she had to keep hold of, a lifeline back if she failed.

She found the place she was looking for finally. It was a not as she remembered it at all, even though she'd been here only once, in better days.

Then, it had been a representation of the area around their home in the Montana mountains, thick with trees and teeming with wildlife, James' vision of what he thought their home was.

Now, she barely recognized the place. Dry useless sand had replaced the loam of James' healthy mind, while the only plants in sight were thin, twisted things, with no signs of ever having lived. Rose blinked as she saw the movement in distance. She waited, hoping that James was coming to her, but it was a dog, one she recognized. Long ago, one of James' first rescued animals had been a large Labrador, left on the side of the road by an uncaring owner.

The dog had been hit by a car, and James had spent nearly an hour bringing the pain-maddened beast home. He' 'd gotten there, and nursed it for three days, hiding it from their parents, until it was too late. By the time he came to their mother for help, the dog couldn't be saved.

It had been the first animal in James' graveyard, although not the last. Here and now, though, it walked again, looking much as it had when James had buried it. Rose avoided it, as she had the scenes James was projecting of despair and death that Professor Dumbledore had seen.

She found a familiar place, the sloping hillside where the Evans house was in reality, and stopped. A shiver ran through her as she stared at the ruins of the house they'd grown up in. Rose sighed and reached for the Medicine Woman skills she'd been taught.

The Native American magic was vastly different from the Wizard magic, and she used it to create two broomsticks for herself and May-ling. Now that she knew where she was, she moved faster, funding James' refuge from the world easily. Halfway up the Daggerfall cliff was a small cave that James had found when he rescued an eagle chick from the top of the cliff after a poacher had killed the adults.

Since then, it had become James' hideaway, and Rose knew that she would find him there now. She flew to the cave, followed by May-ling and landed just inside it. She looked around with a frown. The cave was exactly as she remembered it, except for the two people laying on the floor, staring at the ceiling.

James and Tiffany didn't even look at the two girls that entered the cave.

They lay on their sides, facing each other but not touching. Rose frowned. "That can't be good," she said to May-ling. "Melissa thinks they reinforce the Soulbond by touching. Help me move them together."

The two girls put the couple together and Rose sat down next to James. "Brother mine, are you listening to me?" Rose reached with her link to James, aware of May-ling doing the same thing. "I have to tell you that you're scaring me a lot." Rose kept her voice low and casual, as if she was discussing the weather.

It was the link she was using to reach James, or try to. James and Tiffany were drowning in a sea of recriminations and depression. Reaching James through the swirling morass of feelings was the hardest thing Rose had ever done, forcing her to stretch the bond in ways she'd never considered before.

Some time later, it could have been minutes or days in the depressed wasteland that James was projecting, he began responding. It was just a twitch at first, as his arms went around Tiffany.

"I failed."

Rose shivered. She'd heard James in many moods, from the overwhelming joy when he saved something, to the utter rage that had exploded at the Junior Quidditch Finals the year before they came to Hogwarts, but this complete tonelessness was new. Rose had heard recorded computer voices with more life to them.

"No, you didn't." Rose disagreed with him.

The body at her feet finally did something besides clutch Tiffany. James looked at her with eyes that showed nothing, no emotion or even life. "Ron thought we would keep him safe. He's not safe, he's dead."

May-ling frowned. Rose was hiding something from both of them, and without opening up to James, she simply was not going to break the bleak shell of depression that surrounded him like a cloud. "James, listen to me."

James looked at her, and a flicker passed over his face. "You shouldn't be here."

May-ling snarled. Whatever she said next was lost on the others, as she reverted to her native Chinese, and none of the other understood a word of it. "I shouldn't?" she finally spoke in English again. "Bullshit, you egotistical bastard."

Rose blinked at the caustic tone May-ling was using. "Guess what, James? You're leading a war. People die in war, and you know it."

James finally responded with the first show of emotion they'd seen yet. "IN war, yes, but this wasn't about defeating the Patient Child, but about making us live longer, which isn't worth anyone's life."

"James, did you lose your mind, touching the Heart of the World? " May-ling started using short words and sentences, as if she was talking to an idiot, or a mentally deficient person. "You are one of the Eight. You are Soul Bonded to another of the Eight. If you two die, we lose. Is that what you want?"

May-ling took a deep breath and opened her mind to James, using the link Coyote had created between them. She poured a story down the link, one that had both the Soul Bonded going pale. "Yes, Ron died. More people will die in the war, James. You being there will keep some of them from dying, and it might keep the Patient Child from winning, and burying the world in blood and death for centuries to come. That is why Ron went with us, despite your offer, and why he'd be kicking your tush around the school right now if he could."

May-ling watched as James sat up, staring at her. He reached out, and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry, May-ling. No one should have to live through things like that."

May-ling closed her eyes against the memory she'd sent down the link. "But they will, many times over, if the Patient Child wins. We need you, James. Mourn for Ron, and mourn for all of us that lost a good friend, but come back with us. We need you, and we love you."

Rose threw her arms around James. "I can't replace you, James. I'm not strong enough to do the things you do." Rose looked down and then glanced at James, with the faintest ghost of a smile. "Besides, if you don't come back, that means I'm free to tell the Unicorn story."

James flushed, staring at Rose. Tiffany managed a wan smile as she thought about the lumbermen, causing James to frown at her. James stood up and helped Tiffany to her feet. The four barely fit in the mouth of the cave, looking out.

James stared at the desolation. "What the hell?"

Rose shrugged. "It's your mind, and it reflects how you feel."

James blinked. "My mind? What happened, exactly?"

Rose stared at him. "You broke our Time Turner trying to go back to save Ron."

James nodded. "Yes, I know that. What happened after that?"

Rose frowned as she thought about it. "You disappeared from the links, and Madame Potter is keeping your bodies alive with magic right now." She glared at James. "Speaking of that, James Amadeus Evans, if you ever cause me that much pain again, I will skin you alive."

James started to say something, only to be cut off by May-ling. "Amadeus? Your middle name is Amadeus?"

James sighed. "Yes."

May-ling nodded, and the other three could almost see her filing that bit of information away for future use. She looked at James. "While she is skinning you, I'll be salting the wounds. In two thousand years, I've never felt that kind of pain, and I will be most upset to do it again."

James shrugged. "It was the only chance. I had to try."

"We had to try." The three siblings turned to look at Tiffany, standing next to James. She looked at them. "James is not to blame for this. I could have stopped him, because he needed me to make it work, if it could. Don't blame him alone."

Rose and May-ling looked at each other, and then back at the Soulbonded. "We don't," said Rose, "but since you two are one very strange person, yelling at him is yelling at you."

"Not to mention that while you might have assisted him, we all know James was the driving force behind what you did." May-ling added.

Tiffany sighed. "He had the knowledge, but if I didn't know about something my father did in his third year at Hogwarts, we'd have never tried this. We're both to blame."

Rose and May-ling looked at each other again. "Your father had a Time Turner?" asked Rose with interest. "That's not in any of the books."

Tiffany frowned. "He didn't, but half of his stories aren't in the books, and he says this one is very secret. They changed time, after it had already happened."

James shrugged. "So? We were trying to do the same thing, only we failed." James' bitterness rose again.

Rose sighed. "Last."

James blinked, and stared at Rose. "Why?"

She turned to face him. "You want to protect the Manticores, out of respect and need, and that compassion you try to hide from everyone. Do you think maybe, just maybe, we might feel the way you do, but about you?" She sighed as his eyes went flat. "Not a word, until I'm done."

She stared at him, daring him to speak. "James, you great lummox, Manticore is following you into war. They know that, and they know that you would do anything to keep them safe. None of them are stupid. They can see you working all hours of the day and night, looking for ways to protect them. They can look at the things we've gotten for them, and they can count the cost. They know that you came to Hogwarts, knowing you might Soulbond, and be dead before you were thirty."

Rose took a deep breath. "They see you, and everything you've done for them, and they would follow you into hell, if you asked them to, because they know that you would do your best to keep them safe and alive, no matter what it cost you personally."

May-ling looked out of the cave. "When Rose came to us, and told us what this mission could do, she made it clear that it might not work, that there were so many variables and dangers, that she couldn't tell if it would work. Despite that, not a single Manticore hesitated."

She looked at him. "I wasn't your sister then, and I have years more pragmatic experience than anyone in Manticore, and I thought it was a good idea." May-ling reached out and touched his arm. "Even knowing what I know now, I would still go back. Ron knew the risks, and he made his choice as well. Don't sully that by second-guessing him."

Tiffany and James stared out over the mental image James was projecting and James turned to look at Tiffany as she thought something. He nodded, and looked back out over the landscape. He concentrated, and for just a second, it looked the way Rose remembered, green and lush, a wilderness paradise.

As soon as he stopped concentrating, it slipped back into the desert.

"You won't be able to make it what you want of it, until you come to terms with Ron's death." May-ling looked back blandly as the other turned to stare at her. "I may not have been allowed to use the skills I have learned, but I have studied magic for thousands of years. We are in James' sub-conscious mind, and it reflects his feelings, not his control of himself. Until he has dealt with the feelings Ron's passing have raised, it will likely be an ugly place."

James frowned at May-ling. "I refuse to believe that there is anything in my mind that I cannot control."

Rose sighed loudly. "Can we save the philosophical discourse for a time when we don't have to see things like that?"

The other three turned, and stared at the sky. Just above them were two flying things. Once, they might have been birds, but now they were something out of a nightmare. Completely featherless, and with other bits missing, they were flying as if those things were still there.

James hissed. "I know what those are, but I was not responsible for their deaths, so why are they here?"

May-ling looked at James. "Are you sure you don't feel some obligation about them?"

Rose jerked. "You do have an obligation regarding them, Brother mine."

James nodded. "Yes, I do. I am waiting for Coyote to call in that favour."

"_Something I have no intention of doing any time soon, Moondancer._"

All four spun at the unexpected voice. It had come from somewhere above them. They looked up, only to see a coyote standing on the sheer wall of the cliff. It grinned at them, its tongue lolling out of its mouth. _"You have been most amusing, with your magic and the request to make the old bag your sister. I haven't needed a favour to stir things up. This thing you do, will also provide hours of amusement for any of us who watch."_

He sat down and scratched behind one ear. _"There are many who watch your people, Moondancer. Not all will help you, but some will as long as the show lasts."_ He grinned that coyote grin as he faded away. _"The author is making it interesting anyway."_

Tiffany sighed. "James, would you please explain in small words why you like that creature?"

Rose snorted. "Give it up. I've been asking that for years, and he can't explain it to me."

James was staring at where Coyote had been. "May-ling, you said this is my mind, right?"

May-ling nodded. "Yes, Professor Dumbledore used a form of projected legimilancy to push Rose further into your mind than she could get on her own, and Melissa and I followed them in."

James nodded absently as a smile grew on his face. "Coyote can do it, so can I."

Rose's eyes widened, and May-ling just looked blank, as Tiffany sighed. "James," said three voices at once, and in that second of hesitation, while the girls were looking at each other, James stepped back, out of the cave.

May-ling sighed. "James, this is your mind. You control most of it." She walked over and looked at the one hundred feet of nothing James stood on. "Of course you can fly here, just as you can fly in dreams."

James grinned, and started flying. Tiffany was the next to launch herself from the cave, trusting that James wouldn't let her fall either. May-ling and Rose watched them for a few minutes. "This will be good for them," May-ling said, "but how long can we stay?"

Rose looked at the metaphysical line that connected her to Melissa. "Not much longer, I think. The line is turning misty." She manifested the broomsticks they'd flown here on, and the two of them soon caught up with James and Tiffany. It wasn't difficult, since the Soulbonded had stopped flying and were just floating as they embraced.

"James, we have to go. Besides, " Rose said, smirking, "Tiffany isn't really here, it is a figment of your imagination and wouldn't you rather touch her for real?"

James frowned. "She is here. She's always in my mind." He looked at Tiffany shyly. "And my heart."

Tiffany smiled at him. "As are you, Teddy-bear."

Rose and May-ling looked at each other, and then at James. "Teddy-bear?" they chorused.

James turned and looked at them. "Dangerous."

Rose grinned. "Love."

May-ling just shrugged. "Favour."

The four of them started toward the feel of Melissa, with the three siblings still arguing about Tiffany's pet name for James. They soon found Melissa and stopped to stare. Melissa had been busy while she waited. There were nearly a dozen animals from James' memory around her, and all of them had been healed.

She looked up, and gently moved a couple of them aside. She looked at James and Tiffany, and they felt the slightest touch of her healing talent, as she accessed them. She touched May-ling next and then Rose.

None of the three saw fit to mention that Rose got a much more thorough check than the other three had. "Let's go back," Melissa said, and the scene around them faded out, replaced by the Infirmary.

May-ling blinked. "That was quite strange," she said calmly, as if taking a walk in someone else's mind were an everyday occurrence. She winced after she spoke. "I still have a headache though."

"_Is everyone alright?"_

The Chimeras jerked, as James' voice sounded in their heads for the first time since they'd touched the Heart of the World.

Smiles broke out everywhere, and the next few minute were babble across the Chimera link, as everyone tried to talk at once.

"_Calm down,"_ sent James, _"Tiffany and I are not well yet, so Rose, you are in charge until we get out of the infirmary. Tell Sonya I said she could give the Manticores to you. She did an excellent job, given the circumstances, and I will be telling her myself as soon as I can."_

Adam looked around, and got out of the bed. He went to the doors of the Infirmary. He opened one and looked out at the Manticores waiting there.

"They're awake, and James is already giving orders."

The cheer that rose from those simple words could be heard in Hogsmeade.

_Author's Notes._

_I hate this chapter, I really do. Depression and despair are foreign to me, and trying to project those emotions for dozens of people took me longer than any other chapter ever, and I am still not satisfied with it._

_Fortunately, I have a Beta, (Again) and this one actually edits things for a living. I'm hoping she lasts longer than anyone else has as of yet... at least fifteen chapters._


End file.
